The Boroughs Review

Little Engineers LEGO Camp

2011-01-30T22:43:00.002-05:00

2011 already, no wait, it is almost February... It is amazing how fast things seem to move. I have a few things over the holiday season that I wanted to comment on my full time job, and the MOUNDS of snow have kept me busy.

Lets start this years posts with details from LEGO Camp. I was in Central One before Christmas and noticed a display for LEGO Camp at the Boroughs JCC. Having a kindergartner, LEGOs already fill my house. There are in the couch cushions, under the table, and of course in storage bins in the playroom. I was a LEGO man myself in younger days and really enjoyed building and creating so the opportunity for a LEGO camp sounded great.

The camp was run through a partnership with Play-well TEKnologies. They are based out of CA but have locations all over the US. The program run this winter at the Boroughs JCC was targeted for grades K - 3 and run at the same facility the Boroughs JCC Preschool occupies.

Overall, I was amazed at the program, the Boroughs JCC involvement, and the absolute delight my kindergartner experienced. But let me give you all some specific examples. First lets start with the the Blizzard of 2010. Unfortunately the first day of the program was interrupted by the snowstorm on 12/26 and 12/27. But the Boroughs JCC staff contacted all parents, posted credit policies on both their website and Facebook, and insured the rest of the week was more then enough to make up for it. The week started out with the kids learning about the different types of pieces and key building techniques. The way the camp works, children would build two projects a day but as we all know LEGOs are expensive so at the end of the day they broke down the projects as part of the cleanups. The Boroughs JCC had a solution for this, they took photos each day with each project and sent them home with the kids so they could show their family and friends. For kids that signed up for the full week of camp, the Boroughs JCC created a photo book individualized for each child. It was a great cap on the camp week. Below is a video from the vacation week, I took off the Boroughs JCC site. This way you can see for yourself some of the excitement.

During the winter break from 9AM to 2PM my son was in delight. It is now almost 4 weeks later and he still talks about the program regularly, and his interest in LEGO is never been higher. He even took the photo book to school when it was his turn to share. I know the Boroughs JCC is planning on running more LEGO programs this summer and I am excited to sign him up again. For February they are partnering with FasTracKids to run an astronomy program. Based on the last success I am excited to see what they have planned next.

Westborough Patch

2010-12-15T00:11:00.001-05:00

This afternoon I was on twitter (yes I know I have been very sporadic in my tweets) but I was on twitter and noticed one of the suggestions for me to follow was Westborough Patch. Since I am always looking for local updates and information sources I figured I would check it out. I had not heard of "Patch" before.

Ok so maybe I missed a memo that Westborough Patch was launching, but I am busy sometimes... I have to say, I am very impressed at this new online news site. Seems to have regular updates, Westborough news and events, and from what I have read lots of great information. There is also a Northborough Patch as well.

The sites are simple and easy to navigate. There are also matching Facebook pages and twitter accounts for each site. Their coverage of the Polar Plunge was solid and overall the only thing I would say is not appealing to me is that Patch as a company is owned by AOL. Sure I use AIM like so many others, but the last time I thought of AOL I was using one of their cds as a drink coaster.

I hope AOL has learned from some of their past endeavors and keeps Patch fresh and not overly bogged down with ads and bots. I think there is a lot of potential for a strong corporate funded journalistic team that focused on digital media. Something with funding that can allow local journalists to be proud and promote the local community.

To speculate for a minute, I think there is a lot of opportunity for really interesting social media interconnections blending online and real world experiences and interactions. It is the next logical step in the digital media space. It is possible that a site like patch operating nationally (and even globally) but focused locally can be a way to organize and encourage these connections. We'll see...I actually teach a graduate course on new media technologies and how to integrate them. At least I need to add Patch to some of my lectures and we can see how it plays out.

A Refreshing Plunge

2010-12-13T13:54:00.000-05:00

My wife definitely understands me... she called on Friday during my commute to see if I had noticed the DPW sign in the traffic circle promoting the Polar Plunge. :-)

I had not seen the sign yet, but I was aware of the Polar Plunge and to no ones surprise I was hoping to participate in the event. As soon as I arrived home I sent a mail over to the organizers of the event that I was also interested in acting ridiculous and running into Lake Chauncy after it was already frozen.

On Saturday afternoon, armed with my camera, I went over to Lake Chauncy to meet some of the other plungers and cool off in the lake. The event included a bonfire, snacks, and performances from local a capella talent. Then of course there were the plungers. Along with bathing suit plungers there was an assortment of costumes at the event; T-shirts promoting local businesses, grass skirts, homemade gladiator hats, life-jackets with shoes attached, and even a master's degree cap and gown took turns running into cold water. There wasn't a lot of swimming as organizers of the plunge only removed the 4 inch think ice from a small section of the lake but everyone plunged for a good cause.

The event is small, only a couple dozen or so plungers, but there are a bunch of spectators and the atmosphere was great. Local people supporting a local cause. The sound system was not super conducive for the singers, but for a capella groups each person needs to have a mic or it is hard to hear how great the voices sound. Here are some of the photos I got at the event.

This event is only in it's second year, I am sure it will become bigger and bigger as it continues. The Polar Plunge raises money for "In Your Shoes Westborough". From their literature:

In Your Shoes Mission & Goals

The mission of In Your Shoes is to make a difference in our community by contributing time, talents and monetary resources to provide assistance and financial support to local people in need. In essence, we represent an investment in our Westborough community, as we foster and advocate volunteerism to contribute to the health and well being of Westborough residents.

In Your Shoes goals:

Encourage community among ourselves and the people we serve.
Reach out to our community to educate and increase awareness about local needs.
Promote volunteerism and effective philanthropy.
Build a network of people and businesses that is a catalyst of positive change.
Direct charitable donations toward the most worthy local causes, also donating funds to other non-profit organizations that benefit Westborough residents.

As expected I love volunteering and participating in community. Especially the Boroughs communities. I look forward to another plunge next year.

Super Science Sundays

2010-11-23T10:43:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I signed my boys up for the November installment of the Science Sunday series at the Boroughs JCC. The event was promoted as bringing the Museum of Science "REPTILES" traveling show to Westborough. Having two boys, how could I go wrong with an afternoon of lizards and snakes. I am happy to say this event was far more then the MoS show, and I am super impressed with the quality and value of this program.

The main promotional attraction as I mentioned was the MoS traveling show. Reptiles was cool, there was a lizard, a turtle, and a large snake. The representative from the Museum of Science was interesting and the crowd enjoyed his presentation. The 45 minute interactive talk was fun for the kids. I am proud of the BJCC for bringing the MoS to Westborough. It was convenient and fun, but as I said the real value in this event was the science that went on before the MoS presentation.

The Boroughs JCC found several Boroughs scientists (most who worked in Cambridge) to volunteer their time and conduct a series of hands on experiments for kids and adults. These are real scientists, not technologists or doctors. Not there is anything wrong with technologists (I am one) and doctors are impressive in many ways, but this event was staffed with scientists...people who have made their career investigating, experimenting, and (flashback to high school coming) testing hypothesizes. It is easy for kids to get excited about sports and the sports programs in the Boroughs are great. Band stereotypes aside, I always thought music is easy to get excited about as well, especially with great local entertainers like Mr. Kim Webster, who not only entertains but teaches young kids music fundamentals. To me science is harder. It requires someone with specific know how and patience to show kids in a way that is exciting and hands on. And a lot of times even with practice science can go wrong. :-) That makes it more fun. The event at the BJCC had all the elements of fun science and I am so glad I was able to take my boys.

Making slime, blowing up balloons with chemical reactions, creating geometrical shapes, and several other hands on projects kept kids and adults smiling. This event cost $20 per family for members of the JCC and $30 per family for non-members. Considering admission to the MoS is not cheap, this was a deal just for the reptiles and a steal when you add the experiments.

The Science Sunday series is a new program this year at the Boroughs JCC as they expand to be more focused on the whole community. Last month the BJCC offered discount admission to the EcoTarium Pumpkin festival in Worcester. I can't wait to see what is planned for their next Science Sunday event.

Details on the next event are not published yet but you can keep an eye out at www.boroughsjcc.org or become a fan of the Boroughs JCC on Facebook. They are good about publishing all events on the Facebook page and from what I have seen all events are open to the public. However, they are cheaper if you are a member of the Boroughs JCC

Time again for the Gobble Wobble

2010-11-22T22:58:00.001-05:00

I am so excited! Not because the Beatles are on iTunes or because NKOTB is on tour... No I am excited because is time again for the Gobble Wobble in Southborough. You can read about my experiences last year at the Gobble Wobble or check out mysouthborough.com for details.

Now in its fourth year this event is definitely a family favorite for Boroughs residents. As soon as the leaves start to fall my kids start asking the Gobble Wobble and since my wife is enjoying running 5ks this year, she too is looking forward to the event for herself. For me, it is just a fun time with the family.

I am proud to say, earlier this morning we finished signing up the family for each of our events. My wife will run the 5k, my boys and I will do the family walk, and then the boys each get to participate in the Fun Run. The weather this year looks clear, a little cold, but no rain. Overall much better then last year. Not only is this a ton of fun, proceeds from the event benefit the "Friends of Southborough Recreation Department".

I encourage everyone to check out this event and if you want to participate, sign up now, based on the crowds last year I bet the events fill up before Thursday. I may not be a runner but I can wobble with the best of them, I hope to see you there.

Gobble Wobble

Thursday, November 25, 2010

5K Run, 2 Mile Walk and Free Kids Fun Run

Trottier Middle School Gymnasium 49 Parkerville Road, Southborough, MA

8:00am Babysitting – must preregister (no day of) $5/family
8:30am 5K Race & 2 Mile Family Walk --- $25 Pre-registration (nonrefundable)
9:30am Free Kids Fun Run --- Age Groups 3-4, 5-8, 9-11 *Children must pre-register for Fun Run and have a completed waiver signed by parent.

Fun Run Route and Information

PDF of the 5k Race Route

Happy One Year - Tavolino Westborough

2010-11-22T21:46:00.000-05:00

For about a year now :-), I have been a supporter of Tavolino Italian Gourmet in Westborough. Last week I was fortunate enough to enjoy one of the one year anniversary events and celebrate with the managers and staff. I still stand by my original review of the food and experience at Tavolino. I enjoy drinks with friends, dinner with my family, or one of the many events Tavolino hosts.

The biggest things that impresses me about Tavolino I think comes back to the people in charge. It is obvious that Anthony Valletta (Tavolino Westborough GM) and his staff really care about Westborough. They are proud to be part of this community. I know Anthony grew up in Westborough but his commitment to our community is obvious. Every time I participated in a local community event, I find Tavolino. Some of the great organizations in the local area benefit from Tavolino. I am just proud to see this type of commitment to the local community. Kudos to Anthony, and to the owners of Tavolino for showing Anthony the freedom to support he local community.

The anniversary celebration, was as expected, a wonderful evening. Great food, great wine, and great local people. I noticed editors from Westborough.com, representatives from the Boys & Girls club, and events staff from the Boroughs JCC. I spent some time enjoying a Radeberger Beer with the local Radeberger reps and the reps from Boulder Beer who coincidentally have also been active local supporters of Boroughs events.

I look forward to more years and more events with Tavolino in Westborough. If you are still one of the hold outs, I suggest you at least try Tavolino pizza for take out. It doesn't kill the wallet and can definitely be something different.

Parents need a night out

2010-11-07T22:17:00.003-05:00

Like many other parents, I get excited when my wife or I find an affordable sitter and escape the nightly routine for an evening out. It could be for a fancy meal, a romantic evening, a stupid movie, or simply a trip to a store without children interrupting as we both decide on a major purchase. I think every parent needs these evenings out. Sometimes my boys are excited to see a sitter...sometimes not, but we try to have adults nights out on a regular basis.

Last Valentine's Day weekend my wife and I tried one of the parents' night out programs that are offered in the area. Our first experience was with the Little Gym. I have loved the little gym programs over the years and when I noticed the flyer I had to give it a try. The kids loved it...absolutely loved it and it was no more expensive then a sitter for the same amount of time.

Over the summer our main sitter was home from college so we didn't think much of these programs but since she returned to school I started doing a little research on these type of event. Below are three great local programs that I have found.

Little Gym - Parents' Survival Night
Age restrictions: Children must be at least three (3) years old and potty trained
Hours: 5:00PM to 8:00PM
Cost: members - $30 per child (sibling discounts available)
non-members - $35 per child (sibling discounts available)
Availability: Open to the community, but will fill up.
Frequency: A couple of times during the year

As I mentioned, I tried the Little Gym parents' survival night last February and it was great. The kids had a pizza dinner with juice and then did a craft activity. Finally they participated in a Little Gym style set of games and activities. I have always been impressed with the Little Gym staff and they delivered again on the parents' survival night. They kids were tired at the end of the night but we saw nothing but smiles from their faces. They typically have a 7PM bedtime and they were tired but the activities were so much fun they wanted to recap the whole night before bed. Both boys were very excited to show their craft projects and we still talking about it at preschool the next Monday with their friends.

The next Parents' Survival Night at the Little Gym is scheduled for Saturday, November 20th from 5:00PM - 8:00PM. As of this morning there were only three spots left.

Boroughs JCC - Parents' Night Out
Age restrictions: Children must be at least three (3) months old
Hours: 5:00PM to 9:00PM
Cost: members - $15 per child / max $40 per family
non-members - $20 per child / max $50 per family
Availability: Open to the community
Frequency: Monthly

Last night the Boroughs JCC ran their first community parents' night out. My kids joined many of their friends for this event. The Boroughs JCC did a great job at providing an exciting, entertaining, and safe event for the kids. There was pizza, juice, and water for dinner. A magician, balloon animals, a series of craft activities and story time reading, and even a movie at the end to settle kids down before they were picked up to go home. My boys had a blast and they can't stop talking about the magician and how much fun they had overall. The Boroughs JCC used their facility to provide different rooms with different activities so the kids that weren't into one activity had other options. And the price can't be beat, I am so impressed with how well run and fun for the children the event was. For any parents out there, you deserve a night out, take advantage of this event.

The next Parents' Night Out at the Boroughs JCC is scheduled for Saturday, December 11th from 5:00PM - 9:00PM. This one I can't wait.

Westboro Swim and Tennis - Kids' Night Out
Age restrictions: Children ages 4 to 12 (siblings can be under 3)
Hours: 5:00PM to 9:00PM
Cost: members - $10 per child
Availability: Open to members only (Note: the children themselves must be members)
Frequency: Monthly

This is the only program that I don't have first hand experience with but I wanted to include it as several of the parents that I do socialize with rave about the Kids' Night Out program at the Westboro Tennis and Swim club. This is a night for kids to spend at the club with gym games, swimming, arts & crafts, pizza and more. Kids Night Out runs once a month on either Friday or Saturday evenings. As I mentioned every parent and child I have talked to raves about this program, similarly to the way I now rave about the Boroughs JCC program. The facilitators once again are top notch and the kids have a great time playing and creating projects. If I end up joining Westboro Swim and tennis I will definitely look forward to experiencing this program first hand.

I also found out this week the Westborough Community Education Department also runs events like this occasionally as well. The price for the last Fales one $16 per student. Younger siblings were welcome but they also had to be potty trained.I will have to do some research on this program in the future.

Each of these programs is a member/community service. And from what I can tell, the organizations are not making any money, rather they are just covering costs in hopes of enriching the services they provide to families in the Boroughs. This is a great example of community supporting the community. My kids have had great experiences and I definitely enjoy the extra night out. I look forward to the next Boroughs JCC event. For the money it is the best that I have experienced so far.

Crime Prevention...not panic

2010-11-03T14:40:00.001-04:00

I consider Westborough a safe community and crime statistics back that perception, but we all know there are crimes that are committed in and around the Boroughs. At the last Fales Parent Group meeting, the FPG president had coordinated with Westborough Police to bring in a Detective Sergeant McLeod as a guest speaker to talk to the community about crime prevention.

Most people at this point would tend to tune out, and typically I am no exception but as I drove home I realized the message is important and in my opinion it bears repeating. Yes, Westborough (and most of the Boroughs) are relatively safe, low crime areas. But this is exactly the right time to think about our habits and make sure we are being safe. But it is not a time to take things to extremes and panic. I know too many people who worry about everything and topics like this are hard because fear gets ahead of common sense.

The talk focused on an increased rate of precious metal/jewelry theft in neighboring communities, specifically Shrewsbury. The value of gold, copper, and other precious metals, and even scrap metals are increasing to new highs each month. Breaking and entering crimes where thieves focus on stealing jewelry are on the rise. The stones are popped out and the metal is melted and resold.

Lots of people have insurance to cover costs, but it is impossible to restore sentimental value. And since the crimes typically include melting the material from it's original form to resell, even if the perpetrators are caught the merchandise is not the same.

The goal of the discussion was to raise awareness to our own habits and modify them to be the best practices for safety before Westborough has an issue. Below are some of the key points I took away from Detective Sergeant McLeod:

Criminals have varying degrees of desire and ability. Victims can provide opportunity. If all three line up, the potential for a crime to occur is high. Each preventative action we take reduces opportunity and possibly changes desire in the thieves eyes.

Lock your doors. Too many home thefts are because people leave the door unlocked.
If you have valuable (monetarily of sentimentally) items that are not worn every day, consider a safe deposit box or a separate safe for those items.
Be aware of items around your yard that can help a potential thief gain access to your home. For example, the ladder behind the house or your neighbors shed. It is safer to lock second story windows then to hope a thief doesn't see the ladder in the backyard.
Use your alarm system, it adds security.
Be aware of what is left in plain sight, through a window or in a car. Enticing a thief increase their desire. Laptops, GPS, iPods, etc are all enticing, and although the hardware may be replaceable, the years or digital photos or documents are probably not.
If you are really unsure of what to do, ask for help. The Westborough Police offer guidance on safe guarding your home and even provide survey assessments of your property. For more information on this visit: http://www.westboroughpolice.com/safehome.htm

I am by no means a trained law enforcement officer, so I know there are many more things that can be done. I have lived in both rougher city neighborhoods where I hated parking on the street and in rural communities where I never took the keys out of the ignition of the car. I usually base may actions around the area I live in, but I know after this talk I should do a little more. I don't want to contribute to a rise in crime by adding opportunity.

Thank you to the Westborough Police, Detective Sergeant McLeod, and Fale's Parent Group (FPG) for providing this type of talk. I know it is sometimes hard to get the community involved unless they are directly affected, but prevention is far superior to recovery in this case.

Central One FCU - A welcome addition

2010-10-24T16:16:00.000-04:00

Big banks, local banks, credit unions…with the economy and all the media coverage over the past two years, it is hard to think of a bank with a good reputation. Most of my experience with has fortunately been with credit unions and overall it has been positive. But I too have had my share of frustration.

For the past ten plus years my primary credit union has been DCU. I used to proudly proclaim repeated great experiences with DCU. The last two years my experiences with DCU have gone downhill. Now, I realize there are a lot of regulations that every financial institution needs to follow but every interaction seems less and less personal. For some time I just ignored my frustrations as I knew DCU was better then some of the larger banks.

Then just over a year ago, construction began on the new Central One FCU branch in Westborough. Originally I didn't think much of it, but I was shopping for a new car loan and stopped in to see what they could offer. Their loans rates were as good as anyone else at the time, maybe slightly better, but the things that really got me was the staff. When I entered the branch I was greeted by the branch manager David Kaiser. We got to talking about the community and his thoughts on being in Westborough. David is definitely proud to be part of this community. He and I got to talking about Central One, the community, and how he was eager to be more and more a part of Westborough. All things I was happy to hear as get excited when businesses and individuals look at us as a community and want to involve themselves as much as possible.

Since this first meeting I have gotten to learn more about Central One FCU and experience first hand how they do business. I have to say I think i may have found a new credit union, and what was originally my car loan I want to become more. Things like being open at 7AM. I do sometimes need to stop into a branch but working in Cambridge doesn't make it easy for most banks. Westborough Central One FCU is open Monday through Friday at 7AM. Sure they are open on Saturday as well, but I try to focus my weekends on spending some family time. And I want to add every time I visit the Westborough branch or even talk to them on the phone, I am not treated as a number. There is legitimate recognition in their voices and knowledge of who I am and the accounts I am involved with. To me, stopping at the Central One FCU branch in Westborough is like stopping to say hi to a friend.

The last time I spoke with David he mentioned he was planning a week long one year anniversary celebration of Central One being in Westborough. On my way back from Lazers soccer practice yesterday morning I stopped in to find out what is going on. I am amazed at how much is planned for this week and I wanted to share some of the details. This is all from the flyer I picked up and it is not a complete list of activities. I encourage everyone to stop by on their own and see what else is planned. Overall there is something fun each day. There are breakfast (7:30AM - 11:30AM), and lunch (11:30AM - 1:00PM) food samplings from local favorites such Christina's Cafe, Hisa Japanese Cuisine, Creative Catering by Roche Bros., Rotary Pizza, South Street Diner, Westboro Variety and Deli, and Holy Cow Ice Cream. On Monday 10/26, Tavolino is even doing an evening food sampling from 5:00PM to 6:00PM. There are displays from Westborough school art and design programs, going green initiatives, and many other community organizations throughout the week. On Saturday 10/30 they even have live music planned all morning from some of the WHS student groups.

Central One FCU in Westborough is really trying to stand out and be part of the community. I am impressed with every experience I have had to date and I look forward to more. I encourage everyone to at least check out what they have in terms of services and compare them to what you currently have elsewhere. But most of all I hope everyone gets to find out first hand the personal interest the the Central One FCU Westborough staff takes in each of their customers. In my mind that is what really sets them apart.

Westboro Variety adds deli

2010-10-18T15:58:00.000-04:00

I am sure everyone noticed the shift this past summer from a White Hen to a 7-11 in the center of Westborough. To me 7-11 was an improvement, maybe it is the nostalgic memories of me and my high school friends grabbing Slurpees so many years ago, or maybe it was my experience the one or two times I stopped at the White Hen it seemed like the prices were extremely inflated compared to other gas station convenience stores. But for most adults this is probably a downgrade.

As near as I can tell, 7-11 is targeted at high school and college age individuals who are in love energy drinks and have the metabolism to handle over processed microwavable food. I as expected do not fall into this category. Others similar to me found a big disappointment in the target market to be the elimination of the deli sandwich counter that was part of White Hen. Now, I had never eaten at the White Hen deli counter and based on what I saw it wasn't overly appetizing but I can see how it was a quick sandwich at a reasonable price. Previously anyone local could stop in and get lunch without needing to drive out to NY Deli on RT9 or Regatta Deli & Sandwich under the tracks off Rt30.

Luckily after 7-11 removed the deli counter, Westboro Variety stepped up to support these customers. About a month ago Westboro Variety added a Dietz & Watson deli counter. I admit I never noticed Westboro Variety before and would have never thought to check it out, but friends at Horizon Information Services had tried the new deli counter and said I should check it out. Not only did I check it out but I had to write about it.

I stopped in at about 1:30PM on a Tuesday and was greeted by Damelyn (I am sure I spelled her name wrong and apologize should she ever read this). Damelyn informed me that she makes the best sandwiches that I have ever had so how could I say no. I have to say, it was a great sandwich. I asked for turkey, bacon, cheese and a little BBQ sauce on a roll. There are a couple of things that made this sandwich so great.

First, the meat was sliced fresh, and not fresh this morning, but fresh at that moment. There weren't tins of meat pre-sliced and ready...Damelyn created a fresh sandwich for me. Second, rather then understocked shelves that I am used to seeing at many stores mid day, Westboro Variety had a full selection of chips to go along with my sandwich. Finally and possibly the most impressive, my sandwich was $3.99. It was a big sandwich for next to nothing.

I have been back twice to see if my initial success was repeated. I am happy to report each time I visited, I enjoyed a fresh, delicious, filling lunch for very little money. I don't think I would have ever stopped in Westboro Variety if I hadn't been told to try it, but I am very happy I did and I encourage anyone else looking for a quick tasty lunch in downtown Westborough. Thank you to Horizon Information Services for the suggestion.

Side note: I realized through this that I never actually ate at NY Deli or Regatta Deli either so I am going to try to visit them sometime as well, but for now my next quick lunch in Westborough will be Westboro Variety.

Old Soccer, New Soccer, BEST Soccer

2010-10-07T21:29:00.001-04:00

Last spring my wife and I decided to sign our oldest up for the soccer program affiliated with the town of Westborough Recreation Department. Neither my wife nor I were super athletic growing up and we are not a super sports house but I wanted the boys to have the opportunity to try different sports and see what they enjoy. We decided to go with soccer for two main reasons. The first is easy; limited down time. T-Ball is great but there is a lot of standing and waiting, soccer is almost always activity. Second; we knew a couple of other kids already in the program and they liked the coaches.

The Lazers soccer program operates independently from the town rec department but works closely with them and utilizes the town fields. I don't know a lot about the history of the Lazers soccer program. I had heard stories about some management issues in the past and how the town was working to grow and rebuild the program. That may have been the old soccer but in the two seasons now that my family has been participants in the Westborough program I cannot find fault in anything that they do. From the president of the organization down to every parent and volunteer coach, the Westborough Youth Soccer Association (WYSA) is organized, efficient, worth every penny, and extremely fun. Personally I have talked with Ed Longo (president of WYSA) and had several face to face conversations with Rob Fitzgibbon, director for the under 6 programs, and all I can say is great things about their dedication, commitment and passion for this program and the families involved.

My wife and I love going to the games. We love the sitting at practice. The activities are well organized, the kids who are a little shy are encouraged. Everywhere I look it is all smiles. I wanted to add some thoughts as a parent to all the other parents considering the WYSA also know as the Lazers:

The first season your child may not be into it. Our son had no concept of how aggressive to be the first season. He is a mellow kid anyway but he did not charge for the ball ever. The first season he spent more time cheering for his teammates when they made goals. He claimed to have fun but wasn't really engaged. Now after our second season (and camp which I will talk about later) he is so much more engaged and as a spectator it is clear he is loving it. Two weekends ago he even scored his first goal in a game. Looking at some of his teammates this season I can see the difference, especially compared to first year players. To the parents out there I say give it a second go before you decide to try something different just to make sure. Below are photos from recent games.

Best Soccer Camp is fantastic! It really helps the kids get more involved during the season. This summer we signed both of our boys up for the Best Soccer Camp for one week. This program is run in collaboration with the Westborough Recreation Department we well and hosted by Best English Soccer Training of Westborough. The camp was amazing, and according to wicked local Westborough over 50 local children participated this summer. Best Soccer Soccer was founded by Paul Mumby, Westborough High School Girls soccer coach. Mr. Mumby brings over college soccer players from England and Wales who are great with the kids and truly seem to enjoy the game at every level. This alone would make me proud but then the Best Soccer Camp did a couple of other things this summer that made be extra impressed with Mr. Mumby's management of the program.

As we all remember, we enjoyed a very rain free summer. But the week I signed my boys up for camp was the same week the rains came. Monday camp was canceled due to rain. It happens and I know we can't control the weather, but I did just shell out money for the boys to do a program that isn't happening. Instead of just chalking it up to unfortunate weather, the Best Soccer Camp extended their program 30 minutes each day for the rest of the week. Part of signing up for an outdoor program is we have to deal with weather, but this action showed that Mr. Mumby is concerned about the value to us as parents. Then the second day had to be canceled as well. Sure we need the rain but... Again Mr. Mumby looked to insure value and extended the camp to run through Saturday. I realize some parents will say that is not good...they had other plans on Saturday, but for me it was great. I even got to go watch where during the week I was in Cambridge working behind a desk. Since I did get to watch i also got some great photos.

After camp, both boys couldn't wait for the next season. The youngest will need to wait till spring but the oldest was 100 times more into soccer after the one week at camp. As you can see form the faces below, the kids love this camp.

Lazers soccer is a great social event. I am definitely outgoing and I enjoy meeting and talking with new people, but rarely is it as easy as at the soccer games and practices. We have met other families of his kindergarten classmates, long time town residents, and neighbors only 4 or 5 houses away. Sunday afternoons at Hadley field families are cheering and enjoying the games and I am proud to be part of it.

I am happy we got involved with these programs. It actually makes it a little hard to consider another program right now as these are so much fun and all I ever see is smiles on my son's and other kids faces. In the spring my youngest can finally get off the sidelines and join the Lazers as well. We can't wait.

No need for a new dress…accessories are a different story

2010-08-22T15:31:00.004-04:00

It has been a few years since my wife and I had a wedding to attend on the calendar…most of our close friends have been married for years. We were both excited the other weekend as one of my employees was getting married and we were invited to enjoy the celebration. In past years this meant a trip to several stores in search of a new dress. Don't get me wrong I enjoy a trip to White House Black Market as much as the next guy, but there were plenty of beautiful dresses in the closet that fit perfectly and with all the craziness of everyday life there didn't seem to be time for a full day of shopping.

She may have decided to not buy a new dress but that doesn't mean she didn't need new accessories. My wife suggested we go to Jenny Boston the afternoon before the wedding so I can help pick out something that looks nice. Unbeknownst to my wife I have been trying to stop at Jenny Boston for the past 4 months. I have heard they have some pretty accessories and I thought a relatively inexpensive gift would be a nice random jester. Unfortunately my schedule and Jenny Boston's were definitely not in sync so to date I had yet to set foot inside the store. Our shopping plan could accomplish two things; acquire something for the wedding and finally I can get a look at what is in Jenny Boston.

I was far more impressed with this little shop then I expected. I expected a lot of jewelry that looked "cheap". That is not what they have at all. Jenny Boston has a lot of unique items that are beautiful and enhance the outfit. Some are classy, some are fun, and some are odd and unusual, but we all know lots of people who are looking specifically for the odd and unusual. A great selections of purses, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and other accessories that complete the look. On top of that there was a personal service approach that really showed the employees care about the customers. As we walked into the little shop there were 5 others shopping at the same time. The store is small and with three different groups of people shopping it would be easy for the sales woman (I believe her name is Eliana) to just sit and wait for purchased to be rung out. She didn't take that approach, she asked what we were shopping for...without seeming pushy. She asked about the event, showed genuine interest and then went collected some items that matched our initial thoughts. Eliana excused herself to help and then ring out another customer and then returned as my wife was continuing to pile up a collect of purchases. Eliana was sweet and interested in the people shopping. It added to a positive experience.

I was very happy, we found a perfect necklace and earrings for the wedding and enjoyed the time shopping in the store. There are only two minor criticisms I can find with Jenny Boston. First, for a working person like myself, the hours are limited during the week, no way to commute back from Cambridge before they are closed. The Westborough store is open 10-5 Tuesday through Friday and 10-4 on Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday. To accomplish my random gift I would have to stop in on a Saturday and that definitely would draw questions. Second is less of a criticism and more a commentary on how great the stuff is…although I only intended on getting a new necklace for my wife for the wedding, we left with a new necklace, earrings, a bracelet, and two purses. Our no need for a new dress turned into a fair amount of shopping. So those who are budget conscience Jenny Boston only works if you don't buy 7 or 8 things. :-) In our case it was all worth it, she looked beautiful at the wedding, and I know she will wear it all many more times.

I think I'll wait awhile for the random jester but I do intend on returning to Jenny Boston in Westborough the next time I need a jewelry gift or great accessory. Everything is very affordable...if you don't buy everything.

Positively the Best Preschool

2010-08-19T18:50:00.003-04:00

I mentioned several times that I moved to Westborough, primarily because of the public schools. My mother-in-law is a retired public school teacher from Connecticut and my mother is a retired public school teacher from New York. Both have over 37 years experience an experience in almost every grade K through 12. I have a great amount of respect for public school systems and the community that helps it run.

BUT…when I moved to Westborough, my oldest was just over 2 and my youngest was only 7 months old. Since both my wife and I work we needed to find a preschool/daycare to take care of our children. We had some help at home for the youngest. I don't think at the time, I could have told you the difference between a daycare and a preschool. To me it sounded like the "preowned" and "used" debate. I have learned the basic differences.

Similarities

Both have the same requirements for licensing and accreditation. You can always evaluate each using the same criteria. Both cost roughly the same. Good quality preschools and daycare centers will offer activities designed to stimulate your child's physical, social and cognitive development.

Differences

Preschool is typically designed for children between the ages of 2.9 and 5 or 6. Daycare is aimed at children of many different ages (infant to elementary school age). Some preschools have more limited hours (typically 3 hours at a time, 2 to 5 times a week). Curriculum: most preschools are organized around a specific educational approach (i.e. Montessori, Waldorf), whereas most daycares are viewed as being more custodial than educational.

Ok...enough of that, back to my experiences.

While living in Marlborough, my oldest went to the KinderCare facility on Rt 20. Both my wife and I liked the daycare. It had great hours and Chase was always happy to go. When we moved Westborough, the drive to Marlborough didn't make sense so we looked into other options. After learning the information above and a quick survey of options, we decided to focus primarily on Westborough area preschools rather then daycares. Web research, phone calls, and talks to other parents in the area helped us accumulate mountains of data. Then we visited several of the options: the Boroughs YMCA, Miss. Tonya's, the Westboro Area JCC (now called the Boroughs JCC), the Methodist preschool, Mulberry (now Knowledge beginnings), Jenny Williams (now closed but Positively Preschool has taken their space), and Next Generations. There are a lot of options in the area so there was a lot to research.

Some places seemed small. Children should have room to run around even if it is raining outside. Some buildings seemed old and unkept. Sure new paint and some nice furniture can make it look sharp in one room but if I look around the edges of the building and see mold, I know that is also growing elsewhere. And some places just didn't seem to be anything more then child watching. I want my boys to enjoy preschool and school, and I want them to gain something from the experience, friendships, knowledge, and great memories.

All this lead us to one place, the Westboro Area JCC Preschool (now the Boroughs JCC Preschool).

The Facility - the Boroughs JCC facility is amazing. Over 12,000 square feet of indoor space. A huge 1600 square foot "big room" reserved for activities when the weather is too wet or too cold is a rarity in preschools. The 7 classrooms themselves were also great. Large open spaces with activity tables and stations. It is obvious that people put a lot of thought into the layout of the Boroughs JCC Preschool. Each room is designed to cover all aspects, computers are in each classroom as well as separate sinks for washings and snack preparation.

NAEYC Accreditation - There are few places that take the time to become NAEYC accredited. NAEYC (The National Association for the Education of Young Children) is and independent organization dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8. NAEYC is committed to becoming an increasingly high performing and inclusive organization. NAEYC certification are over and above the state mandated Early Education and Care (EEC) certifications. It takes years to become NAEYC accreditation and that certification encompasses things from building security, teacher ratios, curriculum, and several other areas.

Preparation for Kindergarten - My oldest starts kindergarten in 2 weeks. I know he is better prepared than some of his friends strictly because of the Boroughs JCC Preschool. The PreK class at the Boroughs JCC Preschool was amazing. Kids would sign their name each day when they arrived. There was lots of writing. Counting by 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s well over 100. Basic math foundations, reading fundamentals, and social maturity were all focuses of this class. Referring back to my mother, and her almost 4 decades of teaching, she always seems to evaluate my kids when she visits. The educator in her still shines through. She commented several times that she observed Chase and the others in his class as more prepared for kindergarten then many of the students she saw as a teacher. I don't have the education background to make that kind of assessment but I know she does and if he wasn't ready I know she would be harping on me to get him there. Thank you Boroughs JCC Preschool for this one.

Curriculum - When I first visited preschools I was always turned off when people talked about curriculum. I wanted the kids to be kids, play with paint, get messy, and enjoy the new experiences they find. Again now I am a little older and wiser and I realize curriculum is not a bad word. Children can have these great experiences and get messy and enjoy life with guidance and planned activities. Both of my boys have learned so much from their teachers and classmates. They have experienced all of the fun of being a child with organization and planned activities that help them socially interact. A large aspect of primary and secondary education is structured. Sure we all should use our imaginations and be creative but more and more I realize there needs to be some guidance and options presented. Just being a safe location doesn't make it a preschool…they left out the "school" part.

Ages The Boroughs JCC Preschool is certified to accept children ages 15 months to 5 years. This allowed me to have my boys at the same facility. They also divide ages so my boys who are only 19 months apart were always in different classes. There are differences between 3, 4, and 5 year olds and even the best teachers would be better off if they could facilitate programs for just one age group. The Boroughs JCC has the space and staff to create classes for each age.

Community - I always tout the value of community. The Boroughs JCC and the Boroughs JCC Preschool is an amazing community. The school structure fosters iterations with other parents. We have met some great friends through the Boroughs JCC and I am proud to have their children and my children forming lasting friendships as well. Someone asked me if you had to be Jewish to go to the Boroughs JCC Preschool. About 50% of the Boroughs JCC Preschool is not Jewish, I personally was not raised Jewish. The Boroughs JCC is truly a community preschool, there are Judaic elements to the program and I am proud to have my son excited when he does a mitzvah (a good deed) or when he wants to give Tzedakah (charity) each week. From everything I have seen first hand the Boroughs JCC Preschool contributing to the value and honor it means to be living in the Boroughs.

For any parents looking at preschool options in Marlborough, Northborough, Southborough, Westborough, Shrewsbury, or Hopkinton, I strongly recommend a visit to the Boroughs JCC Preschool to see first hand how incredible are the facility, the staff, and even the other parents (myself included). :-) All photos are curtsy of the Boroughs JCC website, and there are a ton more. I encourage you to check them out. One definitive mark of a good preschool is how happy the kids are. For more information on the Boroughs JCC Preschool contact them directly:

Boroughs JCC Preschool

45 Oak Street, Westborough

(508) 366-6121 ext 23 - Lisa Linehan, Preschool Director

www.boroughsjcc.org

There is also a community open house scheduled for next week. I will be there with my boys and I would be happy to talk more about the Boroughs JCC Preschool, positively the best preschool I could find.

August 25th - Preschool Open House
4:00PM - 7:00PM
FREE - Open to the Public
Pizza, Friendly's ice cream
Bounce house, tumblebus, open playgrounds tours and more

School is starting soon and I am eager to get behind the scenes at Fales where my oldest is attending, but I am proud to have 2 more years of the Boroughs JCC for my youngest. The experiences couldn't be better.

Playgound Camp Rules!

2010-07-15T23:39:00.001-04:00

Back in March, while my wife and I were away for the weekend, my mother was nice enough to stand in line early Saturday morning to sign up my boys for the summer camps offered thorough the town. We looked at summer camps last year but decided to skip the town programs as our youngest missed the cut off age and we didn't want to send them two places.

This year we were excited to try out these programs, both boys would have a chance to meet more local friends and we expected a great program from the town. The Playgound Camp is definitely a win.

I honestly didn't expect much from the camp, maybe some organized games, time to run around on the playground...overall just activity for the three hours each morning. As I said the biggest reason for us participating in the camp was for my oldest to meet new friends. He starts at Fales in the Fall so it was a perfect match. We also intentionally separated them so they couldn't rely on each other to play with and met new friends. This program has definitely exceeded my expectations and I am so happy to have the boys in it. Here are some reason:

Fun - The counselors seem great, they are engaged with the kids, there are activities each day and both of my boys are excited to go in the morning and eager to talk about all the fun they had when they come home. When I drop them off they seem excited to see him and interact.

Organized - I am confident the kids are being watched. There are plenty of counselors and they are very organized, knowing who is there, what the kids are doing. As a parent it is nice when you can walk away and have confidence that your children are being watched.

More then Just Play - The other two points are important but a little expected. This it what really puts it over the top for me, the camp is much more then just playing on the playground. On Wednesday this week there was a talent show. My oldest talked about the night before and planned out a dance. I wasn't sure if it was really a talent show or not, but on Wednesday I heard the full report of how he got up in front of everyone and did his dance. 1, awesome that it is something different. 2, even more awesome that they are encouraging the kids to be in front of an audience. Every chance I get I put my kids in front of a crowd so they are less likely to be afraid of it later in life. Capping off the week, they are doing tie dye. I decided to send him with socks and a new pair of boxers. Everyone gets to do shirts, this way he can have more fun things to wear.

If you missed this year I suggest you sign up early next year for playground camp. Registration is usually in March and you can get details from the Recreation Department Website. They claim to have a Facebook page, but it appears to just be a person. Anyway, this program is worth the money and the kids will have a blast. We have some other activities planned this summer with Westborough Recreation as well and I hope they are this great.

I want to try other programs in the greater Boroughs...I am specifically looking at the Northborough Recreation Department. I ended up on their mailing list and the number of programs and activities that they run is astounding. And for the summer programs..."Non-residents are welcome to join any program at no additional fee!" I enjoyed the big trucks earlier this spring and I am still looking at options from their brochure. I will say the Northborough Recreation website is far better then Westborough's. We should work on that. :-)

A zoo of a day

2010-07-12T18:50:00.004-04:00

My family and I returned from a fun filled vacation visiting family and friends to the lovely heat of the past weekend. Since weather.com couldn't seem to decide if there would be thunderstorms until the last minute we were tentative on weekend plans. But yesterday morning looked good enough for a trip to Southwick's Zoo.

I love zoo's. As a parent it is wonderful to see a child's face when they see an elephant up close or have to arch their neck to see the head of a giraffe. Each time the experience is the same, amazement at the size of the giant tortoise or the antics of the spider monkey as he climbs along the cage. But children aren't the only ones who enjoy the zoo. As an adult and even a teenager/college student, the zoo was and is always one of my favorite date options. Dinner and a movie gets boring after a while, but a nice afternoon at a zoo is fun and sweet and lets you be a little more original.

There are several "zoo's" in our driving area. From the Boroughs you can visit the Franklin Park and Stone zoos near and in Boston or see a few animals at the Ecotarium or Davis Farmland. But to me, Southwick's is a gem...the perfect zoo for young and old.

I expect most of my readers have visited Southwick's already but I had such a great time today, I wanted to share some of the photos I have taken over the past couple of years and remind everyone what makes this zoo so spectacular:

Variety and Size - There are tons of animals at Southwick's, enough variety that I missed a few the first times I visited. And I never feel like I am just seeing another enclosure with more goats or deer.
Walk-ability - There are two points for me on this one. First, I don't want to feel like I have to hike a mile to get to the next animal. Nor do I want to see animals living the way we pack into cities. There needs to be enough space without requiring a driver. Southwick's does a great job here, it is compact but somehow spacious. Second, the heat. Especially this weekend, or really any summer weekend it is hot outside. Walking around in the blazing sun detracts from the zoo experience. This is my biggest issue with the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. I am exhausted if it is a hot day. If I want to bask in the sun, I will hit the beach. Southwicks seems to be mostly shade. I intentionally thought about this today and looked to see how much sun there was and I have to say at least 75% is shaded. One caveat on this point...I was at Southwick's in April before the trees were fully grown and on that day it was very sunny. Even Southwick's can't speed up leaf growth on deciduous trees.
Proximity to the Animals - Maybe it is the design of the enclosures or maybe Southwick's has more social animals, whatever it is I have always felt I can get the closest to the animals at Southwick's. When I lived in Pittsburgh this was one of my major pet peeve's of the zoo there. It always seemed the animals were so far away...even when they seemed close to the enclosure edge.
Continued Improvements - I have been to far too many zoos that have not changed in 10 or 15 years. It definitely seems that Southwick's Zoo is working to make the park better and better. One of the latest (opened late in 2008) additions is the SkyFari Sky Ride. My boys are big enough to enjoy this chair ride through the park and it is a great experience. For my kids...or even if I was on a date, I think it is worth the $5 ride price.

The only downside to Southwick's is the price. For a family it is expensive, $18.75 for adults, $12.75 for kids 3 and up. I can still pass my youngest (who is 3) as being "almost 3" but the cost still adds up. Personally, I buy the 12 pack so all admissions are only $10. In a year I will visit at least 3 or 4 times and if I see the end of the season in sight, I can invite friends so they only need to give me $10 per person. There is also a AAA discount of $2.00 which you should take advantage of if the pack of passes is not an option. If you are not a AAA member Southwick's offers a coupon themselves, just print it out - Southwick's $2 coupon

As I said I love a zoo, and Southwick's is my current favorite. I am happy to have it so close...it's just another reason the Boroughs is so great...location. For those who love animals I included a link to the web album. I hope you enjoy.

Southwick's Zoo Animal Photos

Westborough 4th of July Block Party

2010-06-30T12:37:00.001-04:00

My first couple of years living in Westborough I was traveling out of town during the annual 4th of July block party event. Last year I stumbled into the event by chance and only had half an hour or so to check it out. But even in that short amount of time I realized how great this event is and this year I am prepared to enjoy all of the festivities.

According to online sources, Westborough’s July 4th Family Block Party will be held from 6-10 p.m., this Friday, July 2. The event is held in the center of town from the rotary down West Main Street, ending at Church Street. The event is run by the Westborough Recreation department, specifically the July 4th committee, and they do an amazing job putting together an event for everyone in the community.

In the articles I have read there are tons of activities for the kids -- moon bounce, dunk tank, sand art, hay rides, pony rides, Big Daddy Racing Cars, air-brush tattoos, ring toss, and even a putting green. And for entertainment this year the musical group The Reminisants and the Westborough Community Band will preform. There will also a DJ to provide music when the bands weren't playing.

And one of my favorite parts...adding to all the excitement..is of course the food. Hot dogs, ice cream, steak tips, sausages, subs or salads. This event is slated to have it all. Several vendors are contributing to the meal and snack options, but I am most excited to see my friends from Tavolino Restaurant participating. Anthony and his staff at Tavolino are really showing how much they care about this community. I am proud to see them at each these events, and even more I enjoy the GREAT food they bring each time.

My family and I are all ready to walk down and enjoy all the activities scheduled for Friday evening. My boys are excited for a hay ride as we missed that last year. And since I am expecting it to be such a great community event I already plan on extending the boys standard 7PM bedtime so we have time to socialize with the community.

Westborough and the local organizations really do a great job on their community events. They are well organized, fun, and really foster a community spirit that makes me proud to live here. And the location, Route 30 west of the circle, is ideal for community events. There is plenty of space for everyone to congregate and socialize. As someone who throws a bunch of parties I respect a good party layout.

My personal thanks goes out to the members of the July 4th Committee including Frank and Karen DeSiata, Brandi Phillips, Susan Pickering, Bill Linnane, Bill Kohler, Tom Shea, Mark Brady and Pete Allen. I look forward to a great event this Friday.

Impressive Balance

2010-06-14T21:33:00.001-04:00

I am so excited for this particular blog. In fact if you happen to run into me and my family at EMC park or walking to Panera I will recite this blog to anyone who will listen. I have been so impressed over the past months at both of my sons progress I can't contain it.

About two months ago I was having lunch with a wise co-worker and I mentioned that I needed to get my youngest, the 3 1/2 year old, a two wheel bike with training wheels so he can keep up with his brother when we walk to Panera. His 5 year old brother has a 16 inch bike, that at the time had training wheels. My co-worker quickly suggested I instead should look for a balance bike. I had never heard of a balance bike, but in my one attempt to take give no training wheels a try with my older son, and the failure that ensued I was willing to give a balance bike a try.

What is a balance bike?
Also known as a "push bike" or "running bike", it is a standard two wheel bike with no peddles. Some are wood, some are nice aluminum or even graphite. They all seem to work just fine from anyone I have talked to. I personally chose the aluminum as the bike looks like his older brothers bike and is super light for the first trip where I ended up carrying it for a stretch. BUT I definitely ended up paying more for the look without additional functional value. :-)

Cost:
First thing I had to do was find a bike. My co-worker had passed his sons on to his daughter so borrowing there was not an option. Sadly these are not cheap and shopping in person I did not find many options. Mostly because no one had them in stock and I had decided to buy a bike that evening. Now in researching more options for my readers I found tons of options from reputable suppliers.

Target claims 19 options online. When I was in the store…NOTHING. That was annoying. They range from $72 to $100 - Target Options
Walmart claims 3 options online…and none are available in any store. I know lots of us are web savvy and buy online all the time but Walmart is supposed to have everything, even if the quality suffers. Walmart is definitely the cheapest option I found, but they also look cheep. Walmart sells these for $59 - Walmart Options
Landry's Bicycle in Westborough was where I found the bike I now own. It was probably the most expensive at $159 but it was in stock and the model I have is a sharp blue. Online they have a white version featured and the one I own isn't pictured. Landry's, as expected, was knowledgeable about the bike. I had done a little research but the sales associates contributed and confirmed the information I had acquired. Nice job Landry's and although I paid more I don't regret it a bit. Landry's Options
REI has two options, basic wood and aluminum, I like their aluminum and I may have shopped for that one had I noticed it at the time. Price range $94 - $119 - REI Options
For those who love Amazon, they carry them as well. Ranging in price from $30 (I really don't think I trust that one) to over $300…seriously…$300 for a TODDLER bike! Amazon Options

The Results:
I am amazed at the results from a balance bike. Absolutely astounded at how well it worked and how easily my kids have transitioned to riding a 2 wheel bike.

Here is the scenario: I brought the bike home we decided to walk to Panera for dinner. My house is about a mile from Panera and for the most part there are sidewalks all the way. My wife and I both walked, my oldest was on his two wheel bike with pedals and training wheels. My 3 year old was on the newly acquired balance bike. We set off and the youngest was very slow. We was walking more then sitting and pushing. but he was happy with his new bike. For the entire mile we kept reminding him to try to sit down and glide. After dinner we began walking back and he was starting to sit on the bike and push...no more then two or three feet of gliding, but still getting the idea. By the time we were back to the house, he had the concept down and was gliding for four or five feet. It was unbelievable, on the inclines we was faster then his brother.

Each afternoon he wanted to practice and began riding across the driveway. After one week, he could balance on an incline for twenty to thirty feet. All of the sudden he was faster then his older brother. I made a second attempt at taking off the training wheels on the 5 year old's bike but it didn't work. He could pedal but had no balance.

Now I had a new problem, the older child was slower and...frustrated. Then I tried a new approach, I unscrewed the pedals from my older son's bike and lowered the seat slightly. Then I started to repeat the same instructions I had given for the balance bike. A couple of time he caught his leg on the bars the pedals attach to but in a week he too was gliding around the driveway. After two weeks I added the pedals back on and that was it, he was off riding a two wheel bike with pedals. I am so impressed with him on his bike...I need to get used to riding mine again so we can go on some bike rides.

I bought a new 12" bike with pedals for my younger son, but the first attempt he was having a cranky day and it didn't go well. He did hop back on his balance bike without any issue so I will try again this weekend. As soon as I do, I will review some of the bike trails in the area.

Until then I encourage any parents with children 2 - 4 who are ready to move off the tricycle to try a balance bike. I am amazed at how well it works. As always I am proud to support local business in my endeavor but check the links above or others on your own for the best prices.

Checking out the Big Trucks

2010-06-14T16:53:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday was the annual big trucks day at the Northborough at the Algonquin high school. I almost missed the event but some friends mentioned it on Friday and our plans allowed the addition without difficulty. Maybe where I grew up there weren't enough big trucks or maybe in my home town the DPW didn't need community support. Whatever the case I never got to attend this type of event growing up, but my sons LOVE the big trucks. I try to catch these type of things whenever I can. Although Saturday overall was pretty wet, the rain held off most of the morning and my family was lucky to not only enjoy the event but also remain dry.

I have to commend the Public Works Department, as they lined up a great row of trucks for the kids to sit in, walk around, and of course take photos with. It is funny how much a 5 year old enjoys a photos where the tire is taller then he is. I personally enjoyed the street cleaner, not sure why but they seem fun. My oldest got tricked on the street cleaner. For most of the trucks he got in line or went to the drivers side to climb up into the truck. He then "asked" his younger brother to go to the other door. This way he could always drive first. The street cleaner drives from the right side of the cab so the youngest got to first. My oldest wasn't ready for that and got all confused when he got into the truck. :-)

Although focused for Northborough and Southborough my Westborough family crashed the event, and we were happy to contribute the $10 per family to help continue these events. I did think it was also an interesting bit of unintentional planing that right next to the tent where you can buy t-shirts and give you donation, there was one truck that was missing a large chunk of the seat and was showing it's age on the inside. A subtle hint for anyone who was trying to ignore the donation tent.

Thank you to the DPW and for those who missed it, I have added a couple of photos for others to see the event.

Northborough recreation also hosted its first ever community wide yard sale at the event. I have enough kids stuff, used and forgotten books and toys, and general junk to feed a summer's worth of yard sales so I try to avoid yard sales in general. But I did notice sign after sign on my drive to the high school. The community was definitely taking advantage of the advertising for this event all over town.

Momma wants her body back

2010-06-06T20:09:00.001-04:00

First, let me start this blog by saying, I am impressed with anyone who has the dedication to stick to an exercise routine and achieve results. I have yet to achieve this goal. I have over the past couple of months tried a couple of the gyms in the area and once I complete the next couple I will blog on my set of experiences.

My wife on the other hand has always enjoyed exercise. When she lived in Boston she walked everywhere and still went to the gym 2 or 3 times a week. I have never had this kind of dedication to fitness, and unfortunately as I said, it shows. :-) My wife really enjoys instructor lead classes or group exercise programs. Sure she works out on her own at times, but this seems to be her preference.

After the birth of our first child in 2005 my wife was in search of some program to help her drop the extra weight. This was when she first found stroller strides. Of course she tried a few classes at some of the local gyms, and the Boroughs YMCA still has a few classes she enjoys, but in terms of results nothing has compared to stroller strides. At first I just got to hear the stories and see some of the results, but in 2007 the Metrowest stroller strides group held classes on Saturday mornings and invited significant others to join the class. This is where I got some first hand experience.

For those unfamiliar, stroller strides is a total fitness program for moms that they can do with their baby/child in tow, rather push in the stroller. When weather permits these classes are held outside at places like Hopkinton State Park and Assabet River Rail Trail. In the winter and on stormy days classes have been held at the Natick Collection and other indoor locations. The program includes power walking and intervals of body toning using exercise stretch bands, the stroller and outdoor environment. On top of all this fitness, the local stroller strides includes weekly organized playgroups, monthly Mom's Night Out and lot of other fun things. The Metrowest organization is lead by Laura Kimball.

From my perspective...the results I see on my wife...I have been impressed with stroller strides. At the risk of getting yelled at later I am going to share two photos with my readers. The first photo was taken 2 months after the birth of our second child. The second is after my wife compeleted about 7 months of stroller strides.

I have one other comparison photo from after the birth of our first child but I am sure that will get me in too much trouble to post publicly. But stroller strides isn't just for moms with strollers anymore.

Recently the Stroller Strides franchise added a new program called Body Back. This program is an eight week results based workout/meal plan program designed specifically for moms of all ages! Program includes before and after assessments, two HIIT (high intensity, interval training)workouts per week (this time without the kids) in the beautiful outdoors, full meal plan and food diary, online coaching/support group and Mama Wants workout video series to use at home.

For the husbands/significant others out there I offer the following advice about Body Back:

Once my wife really got into it, nothing could be overbooked on a Body Back night. We have kids and I need to be home from work a little earlier two nights a week to cover kid duties.
In our house I usually do a lot of the cooking. And I, like so many others, love a nice juicy bacon cheeseburger from the grill. This program changed things and my wife has made dinner more nights a week then I have. BUT dinner often consists of brown rice, lots of vegatables, and lean meats. All good things, I admit, but not all the flavors I love.
If you're like me...a "big guy" and your wife is taking stroller strides you may start looking for a workout routine of your own. Sure it may be enjoyable/exciting to watch your significant other bending and flexing to the videos at home, but trying to keep up is a whole different story. :-) To date I am still looking.
Finally, stroller strides and body back work so enjoy the benefit of a happy, healthy, beautiful partner. :-)

For any of the mom's who read my blog, and are looking to get back in shape in the Boroughs area, I recommend you check out the Metrowest Stroller Strides below if Laura's info. For all the husbands like myself...Thanks Laura.

Contact:

Laura Kimball - M.B.A. Fitness, LLC

Phone:

(888) 514-2455

Email:

lkimball@strollerstrides.net

Summer Cigar and Whiskey

2010-06-02T10:55:00.001-04:00

As I have mentioned in the past I am definitely a fan of Tavolino. Although potentially pricey, they have yet to let me down. I am also a fan of Julio's, so when the two planned an event together I couldn't miss it.

On May 11th, Julio's sponsored an Ashton cigar dinner at Tavolino Italian Gourmet in Westborough. What a great event...Although it was a little chilly to be eating and socializing outside for 3 hours in early May, I really enjoyed the evening. And short of climate change I don't think Anthony (Tavolino GM), Ryan (Julio's Owner), or any of the other managers could have done anything else to make the event better.

Let's first review another win from Tavolino's head chef. The evening menu included:
Aperitivo: crab salad in cucumber cups, seared Tuscan ahi tuna on crostinis, petit potatoes with herbed sour cream, and bruschetta
Entree: grilled delmonico
Dolce: spiced molten chocolate cake with gorgonzola

This menu was paired with three Ashton cigars (Ashton Cabinet, Heritage, and VSG), Tavolino house cocktail “Tavolino Tea” and three small-batch bourbons: Eagle Rare Single Barrel, Buffalo Trace and Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel. The cigars were exquisite and very well paired with the meal. After the three bourbons there was an additional bourbon announced that evening.

Overall, it was a really fun event. Representatives from Ashton and Buffalo talked about the cigars and bourbon. Julio's managers brought their own experience to the event describing how they select whiskeys and other select liquors. It was more then just a meal and drinks, the event was a fun social evening highlighting some really great tastes with true experts guiding us through the selections.

I know Tavolino has other events scheduled this summer. Take the time to check out what they have planned on their events calendar.

Julio's and Tavolino are planning a repeat event for late in August. As soon as I get the information I will pass it along and maybe my readers will join me. I know I won't miss the second installment of this event. As I was writing this blog I also noticed the Dogfish event on July 13th listed on the Tavolino calendar. I may first have to check that out as well. :-)

Local Music - More Artists

2010-06-01T14:32:00.000-04:00

As a follow-up to my last post, there are many more local musicians in and around the Boroughs. Lori along with all the artists below donated cds to the 2010 Taste of the Boroughs auction. She shared this music and list with me and I wanted to in turn share it with all of you. I understand how hard it is to follow your dreams, so I encourage everyone to at least check out and support some some of the musician that are in our area.

Lori Diamond – LoriDiamond.net
Kim Jennings – KimJenningsmusic.com
Elizabeth Lorrey – ElizabethLorrey.com
Too Many Drivers – Myspace.com/FredAbatelli
Stuart Ferguson – Reverbnation.com/StuartFerguson
Patti DeRosa – PattiDeRosa.com
Carrie Rowan – CarrieRowan.net
Daniel Chauvin – Myspace.com/DanChauvin
Marc Bridge – Myspace.com/SonicBridgeMusic
Perry Desmond-Davies – Myspace.com/PerryDesmondDavies
Jane Fallon – JaneFallon.com
Sean Fullerton – SeanFullertonMusic.net
G.S. Picard – Myspace.com/GSPicard
Jon McAuliffe – on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000053712900
Tony Gallo – Myspace.com/TonyGalloMusic
John Maclean - http://www.facebook.com/johnmacleanmusic
Lee Villaire – Myspace.com/LeeVillaire
Kevin Burgess – Myspace.com/KevinBurgessProjects

To anyone I missed, I do apologize, please feel free to add others to the comments. I just wanted to highlight some of what I have found over the past couple of months.

Local Music - Lori Diamond

2010-06-01T14:19:00.003-04:00

Over the years I have had the good fortune to meet and become friends with several musicians. Not rock/pop stars, but talented artists sharing their stories and emotion with their fans. I always admire their dedication and passion. Sure, I wish I had more musical talent myself, but my occasional karaoke attempt or my high school years playing trombone are all the music I have personally. What I am talking about are the tons of great artists locally working to share their sound and talent.

On May 20th I had the opportunity to experience Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli at the Bull Run in Shirley MA. Lori's music style is Acoustic / Soul / Folk, a deviation from my normal 80's hair bands but so impressive it was well worth broadening my tastes. This was the third time I got to catch Lori and Fred and every time I think I become more impressed with their talent.

The first time I saw their act was at The Java Room, in Chelmsford. This performance really wowed me. First, Lori has a beautiful voice, it resonates emotion and really reaching into the core of the listener. The second reason is kind of unique. I have attended lots of local acts at bars, coffee shops, even entrance halls, and everyone always has some sound issue. Too loud for the space, not balanced compared to the activities, or not clear enough to appreciate the music. Lori's performance at the Jave Room was the first I have ever attended where the sound was PERFECT. I truly mean perfect. As I sat and enjoyed brunch with my family, the music was clear but we could still talk. And the conversations from other tables didn't detract from the music. As we walked to the car I kept commenting to my wife about the impressive music balance. Finally, and I know this is most artists, Lori is so appreciative of any of her fans. She is so sincere in her appreciation and makes and effort to visit with the people who come to see her play. It really makes the experience so personal, just like the music.

The video below is a combination of a couple of excerpts from Lori and Fred's performance at the Bull Run last month. Even on my poor video quality Blackberry you can get a taste for the music.

If you are looking for a relaxing Sunday brunch and Lori is playing at the Java Room, I encourage everyone to make the trip. Also here is a link to Lori and Fred's 2010 schedule of performances.

What a busy spring!!!

2010-05-31T19:41:00.000-04:00

I am sorry I haven't written much lately. The spring got away from me and I needed to take a break to focus on multiple other things. The short version...day job demanded a bit for attention and since that pays the mortgage I had to answer. Then I became very involved in helping to keep the Westboro Area JCC from closing, I am proud to say it was a great success and I will detail more about that in the next couple of weeks. Finally to top it all off I completed my masters degree at Clark University and graduated just this month.

There are so many things I want to share so back to the writing. Thank you for all the notes of encouragement as things got busy. Online and in person this community never lets me down.

Boroughs Beer, Wine, and Food Tasting

2010-03-04T00:36:00.002-05:00

There are a lot of local events in the Boroughs; art auctions, pancake breakfasts, cigar nights, kids programs, local music, and so much more. I wish I was able to attend more of these local events, but like so many others, work, commutes, kids, and all the other aspects of daily life tend to leave us tired at the end of the day. But these are all just excuses. Some events are worth the effort. This weekend has one of those events - Taste of the Boroughs 2010.

Ok, lots of great local events, why is this one so important...I am glad you asked...this is the only event so far that has asked me to emcee the festivities. :-) But long before I took hold the microphone, I attended the 2008 Taste of the Boroughs, and that is when I decided this as a must attend event. Let me give a little summary and then I can get into my personal experiences.

The Taste of the Boroughs event highlights local restaurants and caterers in the Boroughs (primarily Westborough, Northborough, Southborough, and Marlborough) and the surrounding areas, pairing them with fine wine and craft beer vendors from several regions. Adding to the culinary treats, there are silent and live auctions, a DJ, and live music.  

Sunday, March 7, 2010 6:00 - 9:00pm Doubletree Hotel Westborough

The event is produced and hosted by the Westboro Area JCC. Proceeds from the event benefit the community programs at the WAJCC and support the WAJCC preschool.

All of that is lifted from the Taste of the Boroughs website, here is the straight facts on this event...worth every penny and a wonderful time.

2008
Taking a trip back to April of 2008 I found myself at my first Taste of the Boroughs. Two things really stood out to me; 1. There is as lot of food and wine to enjoy at this event. I made the mistake of eating beforehand thinking "tasting" meant very little. 2. This event is all about our communities. The second realization is what really got me.

The WAJCC intentionally went out and invited multiple restaurants from our area. Sure many of us dine in Boston for a night out, or we go to Worcester and enjoy a nice meal, but this event was focused on as many restaurants as possible from the Boroughs area. That's only the restaurants; the auction took the event to a whole new level. Here hundreds of local businesses contributed to amazing auction packages. The word packages is critical here, these auction were not for a spa treatment or gift basket...no no no...the WAJCC packaged a spa treatment with a haircut and style and a gift certificate to a local clothing store and even spa products. One package in 2008 had a four pack of passes to 9 museums all over the area. I left full, maybe a little buzzed and holding a package for landscape design consulting, gift certificates to Home Depot, and gift certificates to the Plant Bazaar. Eventually this became my backyard patio.

2009
I was asked to participate in the event as the emcee. I happily accepted, mostly because I love to hear myself talk. But really I love to talk about the great things in our communities. Throughout the night I got to know the general managers for several of the local restaurants and I learned more about some of the local businesses that donated to the auction.

I was definitely less buzzed in 2009 but again, full of great food and happy to have participated in such a fun event. There were easily 250 people there in 2009 and the ballroom was packed with some really great places: CJs Steakloft, DogFish Brewery, Simply Dahlicious, Guiseppe's Grille, El Basha, Yummy Mummy Brownies, and several more.

By this time I was totally hooked. An entire event where as a community we come together to socialize, enjoy great food, wine, and beer, and meet the general managers, owners, and head chefs at some of our favorite locations. The atmosphere was invigorating.

I also got a chance to know some of the organizers of the event. Much like myself they want to promote the local community. They want to talk about the great businesses we have, and yes they want to raise money for the WAJCC, but that is so the WAJCC can offer more to the community. Local organizations supporting local organizations.

2010
So the time has come again. Taste of the Boroughs 2010 is this Sunday. I'll let you in on some of the info I have learned about this years event and hopefully something will spark enough interest to come out and enjoy with me:

Yours truly will be returning as the emcee for the evening.
You will be supporting a great organization (WAJCC) that builds and support the local community.
The following breweries are represented this year - Berkshire Brewing, Boulder Beer, Opa Opa Brewery, Sherwood Forest Brewers, Dogfish Brewery, Wachusett Brewery.
The Vin Bin as assembled over 2 dozen wines from several wineries.
Did I mention I am the emcee for the evening
Restaurant/caterers represented - Allora Ristorante • Bollywood Grill • Caffé Dolce • The Chateau Restaurant • Cheng-Du Restaurant • Chipolte Mexican Grill • CJ's Steakloft • Cold Stone Creamery • Culinary Underground • Doubletree Hotel • Edible Arrangements • Horseshoe Pub & Restaurant • Not Your Average Joe's • The Original Beer Cookie • Panera Bread • Piccadilly Pub Restaurant • Red Barn Coffee Roasters • Roche Bros. Catering • Samba Steak + Sushi • Sorentos Italian Gourmet • Tavolino • Uno Chicago Grill
The auction packages - There are so many and everyone is impressive, from french lessons to flights to Florida, cigar boxes to spa treatments, cases of wine, and then some awesome sports items...several sets of tickets to Red Sox games, preseason Patriots tickets, signed Carlton Fisk Baseball, signed Ted Williams/Mickey Mantle rivals poster, signed Larry Bird photos, and even a signed Tom Brady jersey.
Local musical artists Lori Diamond and Fred Abatelli will be preforming live!
Finally, you will have the chance to see me emcee the evening. :-)

I hope my readers come out on Sunday and enjoy this event with me. Obviously, I am enamored with the Taste of the Boroughs event but that is because I love our local communities and this event is all about our communities. And to be fair, I do also enjoy hearing myself talk. A great organization, a great event, great communities...see you Sunday.

The Boroughs...online

2010-02-28T23:17:00.001-05:00

When I started this blog last year I expected to find several other local bloggers writing about the area and keeping in touch with the local community. I figured I was late to the blogging party, but the reality is there are only a handful of local bloggers in this area. I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of them. They have really good information and a personal view our towns. I may not always agree but I always prefer to hear someone else's thoughts rather then marketing speak. I do occasionally check out some of the Metrowest blogs, but for me, the Boroughs are not the Metrowest. we have our own area, with unique communities and focuses. Here are the Boroughs Area Blogs:

At the top of the list - www.mysouthborough.com If you haven't already read this one you are missing out. This blog is amazing. So much information and constantly updated. And not exclusively Southborough. Just like the Boroughs Review, there seems to be a blurring of the geographic lines. The blog is written by Susan Fitzgerald.

I am amazed at how on top of the area Susan is. She knows what events are coming up, she talks to public officials about the town, and she obviously cares about the community and how things are going. I am occasionally jealous (not in a bad way) of her insight and connections. I am just happy ot benefit from her dedication and hard work. In discussions I have had with other community members, MySouthborough always comes up as the best site to visit. MySouthborough is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Moving through the Boroughs lets visit www.Northboronews.org. NorthboroNews is a great collective blog. Several wirters and user submitted information. Kim Henderson-Lee does a great job as editor and moderator. When I was researching locations for my sledding review Northboro news helped point out a couple that I had missed. Northboro New is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Several times I stumbled onto Southboroughnews.com. This site has amazing photo journalism. Some of the shots Chris Wright and Linda Hubley have are astounding. So beautiful and amble to capture the moment story though a photo. There is a lot of information on Southboroughnews.com, but I sometimes feel the words miss the personal relationship with the subjects. The photos however never seem to. Honestly I don't really read Southboroughnews as much as I read mysouthborough. Maybe it is style or some weird website design preference, but I prefer writing with a personal touch.

Recently I started reading The Greater Grafton Blog and I have really enjoyed it. A great personal touch and the author also works for the Grafton Times so there is a ton of information with that personal touch. I don't have much more to say on this one yet, I found the blog as I was following the vote for the new school. Looking through some of the old posts it has a nice flare so I will watch for awhile and hopefully continue to enjoy.

One other "blog" that I often check is only on Facebook. The group "Southborough, MA" often catches and publishes a lot of the interesting things going on in the area. There were tons of updates with Adam Sandler was filming in Southborough and even ways to be an extra. Social media is the way now and Facebook is so easy to keep people updated.

It is impressive to see this local talent writing about our area. I commend all of these and the countless other blogs out there on their efforts to contribute to the information available to others. Reading about our area through the eyes of our neighbors brings us all closer as a community. I for one am proud to be part of this community.

Big Game Beverage Selection

2010-02-06T23:34:00.007-05:00

The Patriots have been out of the playoffs for some time but that doesn't mean that you can't invite friends over to watch the big game. I admit my Superbowl watching habits are traditionally more focused on commercials then the actual game, but I enjoy having some friends over and as the host I always look to supply the best in terms of beverages.

Next year I may try to time a Deja Brew trip to be completed just before the game but this year, like so many others, I headed off to the pick up supplies from a local package store. For me this means a trip to Julio's Liquors. I got to talking with my friends over at Julio's and asked if they wanted to star in this edition of the blog. I use the word star as I shot a bunch of video that really conveys my points about Julio's and I wanted to include them in with this post.

Lets start with the beer...

As I mentioned I like craft beers. Unique brews that have some complexity. But in a store as vast as Julio's it is easy to get lost in the beer aisle. Thankfully, there's a blog for that. Lost in the Beer Aisle is a local blog tirelessly researching and evaluating beers. When you approach a store like Julio's this blog can be a great help. I for one appreciate the suffering "Lost" must endure to provide this service to all of us. :-) In all seriousness, there are a lot of beers out there. It is hard to know what to choose.

Julio's carries an unbelievable selection of beers. Imports, domestic, micros, and majors. All side by side waiting to be chosen. An I have gotten 1/6 kegs of Dogfish 90 and other less standard brews without pre-ordering. Now if you didn't take the time to check in with Lost, you may need some help selecting the best option. Luckily Julio's has Tom and Joe. Guys who understand beer and care about matching your tastes. On more then one occasion I have left my selection up to Tom, and I have yet to be disappointed. See for yourself:

I sometimes enjoy a good cigar...
And if I am not at Havana House raiding their humidors, I need to find a place to buy great cigars. Julio's smoke shop has over 300 different cigars kept at the perfect humidity. I think the most impressive aspect to the cigar shop is Dan's (Julio's tobacco manager) willingness to add customer recommendations to the regular inventory. It all comes back to service again. I can walk in, tell Dan about a great cigar I had and if he doesn't have it he understands enough to recommend a similar cigar. Then usually by the next time I am visit, he has my original request in stock. This kind of commitment to customers explains why Julio's continues to grow.

But what about the community?
I started writing this blog because, among other reasons, I like this area. I am proud of this area. And I want to highlight when businesses in this area do good things. I don't write a lot of negative blogs, unless the business is not serving the community. We are a community, sometimes in competition, most of the time working together. Julio's is partnering with a lot of the community. They like the Vin Bin have picked up the Original Beer Cookie. They also support several other local companies by carrying local vodka, local cheese spreads, and local condiments. This is huge to me, you can be part of a chain or a private business, supporting other local businesses is important to me.

As I was shooting these video I took a moment to really look at Julio's. I have still not tried or benefited from a majority of the store. The loch and key society, the wine tastings, the burn center. There is still a lot for me to try out. I enjoy and respect the managers and the service they provide so I expect the same quality form these other departments. Julio's knows the community supports them and shows their support back. I put together one last video trying to capture the major departments. It is available on the Boroughs Review YouTube channel. I think I will finish off the Fallen Angel (The exclusively made for Julio's beer) that I picked up on my last trip tomorrow during the game. And maybe I'll see you at a future tasting.

A Custom Brew

2010-02-03T12:30:00.004-05:00

When I moved to Massachusetts in 1999 I had drank a total of 2 full beers in my life. And both were after several other drinks. With a username like Stolimadras you can imagine that vodka was more the drink of choice. But when I moved here, it seemed EVERYONE drank beer. I mean everyone. I felt odd ordering a screwdriver... and whiskey was just a recipe for disaster.

Luckily, I started to hang out with a group of people who knew a lot about microbrews, one was even a brewer for Smuttynose beer at the time. And then I found the Sunset Grill in Alston, that really broadened my beer horizons, and I will now say that I am a beer drinker, but I remain selective. I like a custom brew, I like something unique. Much like when I try a new wine, I want to enjoy and experience different tastes and flavors.

All this history, leading up to an enjoyable hobby...Home Brewing. I have several friends that are regular home brewers. Some of their stuff is amazing. Some of it also tastes horrible, but just like other culinary attempts there are often failures on the path to success. They chalk up the bad tastings to gaining experience. As I learned more about beer, I wanted to try to brew a batch myself. I don't expect to be converting a section of the basement into a brewery but I would like to experience creating a craft beer myself. We are lucky in the Boroughs to have two businesses close by catering to these types efforts, Strange Brew in Marlborough and Deja Brew in Shrewsbury.

First the path not taken. After visiting and talking with several local friends everyone agreed Strange Brew is probably the best options for brewing supplies. They have just about everything in stock that you need for all different styles of beer. They also have a lot of pre-packaged kits that to help the novice brewer get their feet wet without too much risk of failure. I have been onto Strange Brew a few times with friends collecting supplies and the beers they have brewed have come out great...but brewing at home had major flaws in my mind. I have never done it, and I know I like unique beers. The odds of my pulling of a good batch my first time out were pretty slim. Also, I am not always the most patient. Without someone guiding me I doubt I would wait the correct number of minutes at each step. And finally, if I brew at home, I get to be the one who has to clean it up, that definitely doesn't seem like extra fun.

So after some though, I decided that the best option for me was to try Deja Brew. I am going to take you through the whole experience but before I start, let me say the Saturday morning I spent making my batch of beer at Deja Brew was AWESOME. I cannot believe how much fun I had, ever single moment was great, the mixing, the cooking, the tasting, the general atmosphere. What an amazing business, I am so happy that I tried it. And now I am excitedly awaiting my batch of custom brew to be ready. Here is how the day went.

Saturday
10:00 AM
I arrived at Deja Brew without any real expectations. I did bring my cameras so that I could record some of the events for the blog. My first task was to choose a recipe. What type of beer would I like to make? I told Nick, one of the brewers, that I like high alcohol content flavorful beers, but I don't like it to be too hoppy or have a bitter aftertaste. I mentioned that I enjoy, Delirium Tremens, Dogfish 90, and several of the Berkshire brewery line. After some discussion on flavors and options, I selected the 12 honey ale. To confirm this was a good selection I sampled some of the 12 honey ale that last brewed.

10:15 AM

Time to start measuring out grain. The first task on the recipe was to measure out 6 pounds of grain. I like the fact that they aren't doing the work for you. Nick pointed me at a table with several grains on the shelves and pointed at the scale.

After the grain is measured, it is time to grind. I ran the grain through the mill and into a container to be brewed. I added the grain to the kettle and was shown where to gather my other ingredients. I would have a little time as the kettle needed to reach 180 degrees.

I spent the next 30 minutes collecting the proper amounts pale malt, honey, and hops for my recipe. Every few minutes I stopped back at my kettle to lift and shake the grain. This was to increase the flavor of the beer. And I started talking with some of the other brewers there to get their impressions of Deja Brew.

10:50 AM
The rest of the ingredients are collected and the kettle has reached 180 degrees. Time to begin the cooking.

For the next hour plus I was adding ingredients, timing how long they cooked and tasting some of the other brews being bottled by other brewers. It was a very social experience, people talking and hanging out. I met one couple who was a brewing a batch of beer together as an anniversary activity. One family had purchased the brewing for the father and the wife and kids were there to help. It was a room full of great local people having a good time.

12:00 PM
The brewing was complete. It was now time to cool the mixture and add yeast. With the help of the brewers we piped my 12 Honey Ale into a lined fermenting drum and added yeast. I labeled this batch Big Boroughs Brew in honor of the blog and helped move it to the back room where it will sit until February 20th, when it is ready to be bottled.

The staff at Deja Brew then cleaned the kettles, the bowls, and any other items I used so they are ready for the next brewer. All the fun, with no clean up or mess. While it was brewing it smelled great. I can't wait for it to be ready to taste later this month.

Even though I have yet to taste my specific brew, I have a good idea on how it will come out. The samples were very tasty. Deja Brew is an amazing business. A fun activity for couples, great father son bonding, and I can see it being a perfect place to have a corporate team building event. I am still amazed at how much fun it was. The following videos are just a sample of my day. I hope you take the time to try it for yourself. And if you want company...just let me know.

The best chef...outside my kitchen of course

2010-01-28T22:45:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in a while as I am busy doing research for a wonderfully exciting blog...no details yet, but soon. I can just hear the excitement is building in all of your minds. But enough of that...I was talking about chefs. I don't in any way consider myself a "chef" but I do feel that I am a decent cook. At least my wife claims the food is good, either way, skill or false praise my ego remains intact. As a lot of this blog talks about food, I am always interested in finding new places or new ways to experience some of the great culinary treats from the Boroughs. I was talking with a friend, the Supreme Chancellor of Beer, about upcoming local events and he mentioned that he is helping to sponsor Worcester's Best Chef this weekend. Worcester isn't the Boroughs obviously, but Worcester's best chef...that could be fun.

And then I found out, that last year Worcester's best chef was won by Northborough's own chef Anne, from Yama Zakura with her Tuna Tataki. Now we are back in the Boroughs and I love Yama Zakura, in fact I could write a whole blog on the unique dishes they create, but I'll save all those tasty details for another time, let's focus on the event this weekend.

Worcester's Best Chef
Sunday, January 31st
4:00 to 8:00 PM
Presented at Union Station

I am proud to see the Boroughs showing their talent in this competition. For those interested check out www.worcestersbestchef.com. They have listings of the chefs involved, the fun items for the night, and how to order tickets. Ticket's for the event are $50 but there are some discounts available. This event is a fundraiser for the Culinary Arts College Scholarship program at Worcester Technical High School. I think it looks like a lot of fun, and talking with Matt (the chancellor) he says it is a great time. To date I have no reason to doubt him.

Short and sweet this evening. My research on some other great Boroughs items should wrap up this weekend, so look for a new blog on Sunday.

A tale of two Karaokes - Part 2 - Cheng Du

2010-01-10T16:20:00.002-05:00

Although the karaoke side of my night at Havana House was not the highlight of my week...I still had karaoke burning inside, just aching to get out. I was in search a local place to slaughter a song or two. As I was driving down rt9 I noticed the Cheng Du sign announcing karaoke from 10 to 1 Saturday night. In my three years in Westborough I have yet to try Cheng Du so my wife and I decided to invite some friends and have dinner at Cheng Du and stay for the karaoke. I think this may have been my best decision this week.

Let's start with the dinner...we all loved it. Great food, great service, and I don't feel like it put a pinch on my wallet. I really enjoyed the chicken chow foon and the kung-pao shrimp. It was great Szechuan/Mandarin diner, there is really no other way to put it. Mr. Tang, the owner, stopped by to say hello and check on our meals. Overall the service was great, always a waiter was filling the water, checking to see if we needed more to drink or clearing empty plates out of our way, and the food was delicious. And the best way to follow a great dinner is to to sing a little karaoke...so that is just what we did.

The bar area at Cheng Du was packed just after 10 as the karaoke began. We were lucky to find a table to sit at. The setup works well for karaoke, one screen to read from and a big screen with videos in the background that everyone can read from. It was more conducive to a karaoke show then some venues I have visited. The guy running the karaoke did an awesome Elvis impression and filled a few songs in the beginning as people put in their selections with his own vocal stylings. I labored a bit on this blog to find some way to describe the night and I just kept coming up lame repeated phrases...packed bar, lots of fun...so I took a decided to show you some samples instead. I love my Flip camera, but in the low light it does get a little grainy so the video is not perfect.

I hope you enjoy, and I plan on visiting Cheng Du for a performance of my own sometime soon. I hope to see you there.

A tale of two Karaokes - Part 1 - Havana House

2010-01-10T16:15:00.000-05:00

I loves the karaoke. :-) I can't sing in any way, shape, or form, but I do love belting out poor renditions 70's, 80's, or 90's hits, hanging out with friends, having a drink, and generally enjoying the spectacle that is local karaoke. Two of my friends are karaoke DJs in Cambridge and I have spent a few late nights at Charlies Kitchen in Cambridge enjoying the fun, but until last week I had yet to partake in any Boroughs karaoke.

It all started last Wednesday I invited a couple of friends to watch the Celtics game at Havana House in Northborough. When I checked online to see how late they are open, I noticed Wednesday night is karaoke night at Havana House. Before we get into the karaoke, I want to highlight Havana House.

I know several readers are not super fans of cigar bars, but I love Havana House. It is not a smoky dingy bar. Havana House is a relaxed comfortable hang out where you can enjoy a cigar. I discovered it several years ago while living in Marlborough. I used to have a hot tub on my deck and sitting late in the evening in a 104 degree hot tub, drinking an 18 year McClelland, and smoking a nice cigar was the ultimate in winter relaxation. Some evenings weren't conducive to out door hot tub relaxing and I was lucky enough to find Havana House.

In my travels I have yet to find a place that matches Havana House. It is unique, in a great way; to describe Havana House in a word I say awesome; big screen tv's, relaxing comfortable leather couches, pool tables, chess boards, a cozy bar area, and a bar staff that is fun and casual. Becky the owner has set up a place you will want to visit again and again. The cigar selection is extensive and they are meticulous about the humidor so the cigars are always fresh. I am not a "smoker" but I do enjoy a cigar now and then. Havana House never seems overly smoky to me. They must have the bought the best smoke eaters available and it makes the experience that much better. Add to the relaxed atmosphere and the great cigars the bar is pretty extensive as well. A wide selection of both beers and liquors stock the bar. There have been a couple of times that I was looking for top shelf scotch that Havana came up a little short, but for the most part they do a great job. If you are looking to catch up with a friend, watch the game, or meet up with the guys and celebrate, Havana House is a great place.

On to the karaoke...Havana house does karaoke every Wednesday and Friday. My first experience with Havana House karaoke was December 30th. As I said I called a couple of friends to see if they would like to watch the Celtics game...unfortunate game to watch but hanging out with friends is still a good time. We knew it was karaoke night, but till this visit I had no experience with karaoke at Havana House. Thinking back I seem to always end up at Havana House late on a Tuesday or a Sunday so in the past we missed the karaoke festivities. The bar was pretty quiet in this night and the singer selection was limited. The few regulars did keep the evening of song going and they all had really great voices, but it was, like the bar itself, a relaxed evening more then anything else. It didn't have the karaoke atmosphere I am used to. There was applause after each song and a few cheers now and then but it was not the energy level I have experienced at other karaoke events. It was still fun, and in the background as I watched the game and chatted with my friend it was amusing at times.

I can't say that I am rushing to Havana House for the karaoke, but I will be back to enjoy a cigar. The other patrons and staff are very welcoming. It's jsut the type of place you can comfortable visit regularly...a great Boroughs location for those who want to have a cigar and relax. And in the future if I get dragged into a song or two, I won't fight too much.

Efforts at the Northborough Friendly's (Westborough Friendly's)

2010-01-09T19:18:00.000-05:00

So I have to start out by correcting a misprint in my November blog about the "Northborough Friendly's". The restaurant I am talking about it located at 303 Turnpike Road (in front of the Walmart). I thought the town line ran right in front of the Friendly's, actually it runs between the Walmart and the Friendly's so in reality this Friendly's is also in Westborough. I don't think anyone was confused on what I was talking about but I did want to correct. According to the Friendly's website, this location is labeled in Westborough and the Friendly's at the intersection of rt30 and rt9 is the Westboro Friendly's. That is a whole different discussion so I'll leave that alone for the moment.

Back to my reason for today's blog. As I said, on November 13th I wrote a blog describing some less then optimal experiences at the Westborough Friendly's. That post had a ton of hits including, Vinny Miele, district manager for the Friendly's in this area. Vinny publicly invited me to discuss some of my experiences and I took him up on his offer. We had a good discussion about the service he looks to provide to the area. And I was very frank on where I felt things were lacking. I am proud to see the management at Friendly's taking the time to listen to public opinion and looking for improvements within their establishments. Thanks to the internet we have a voice.

Vinny made some staffing chances at the end of last year and invited me to retry the Friendly's in mid December. I had dinner at the Westborough Friendly's on December 18th and met the new general manager, Andrew. As you would expect my service that night was stellar. I have managed a couple of restaurants in the past and if you know there is someone important in the establishment you make sure all the extras are in place. Vinny was at the restaurant helping that night as well and several of the managers and staff checked repeatedly to make sure I had everything I needed.

I tried to keep an eye out on the other tables that night. My wife and I ran into a friend that night who also reads this blog. Unfortunately her experience was not the same as mine...missing silverware, and very slow to take the order. But the mixed bag of service that night was still and improvement over the experiences I mentioned in the previous blog.

So being the thorough person I am, I decided to revisit the Westborough Friendly's 3 more times before I write this blog and make a final decision. I wanted to be just another customer and evaluate the service without being recognized.

December 23 - Dinner - I made it through the whole meal with my kids before I was recognized...Andrew did see me as I was leaving and stopped to say hi. Just me and my boys. Service was reasonable, not super fast but not obviously slow. There were no crayons that day, I guess they ran out, but nothing else of major interest positive or negative.

December 31 - Lunch - Here I was just another customer but I got the same waitress I had on the 23rd. Kudos tothe waitress for recognizing a regular. She said hello, mentioned the last visit and the kitchen seemed to be running quicker. The restaurant was pretty empty so service was quick and there was no wait, but I noticed more servers available then I had remembered in my last trip.

January 9 - Lunch - We were greeted right away at a packed restaurant. There were only two tables available when we walked in, and we were seated immediately. This was the test I was hoping for. Can they deliver fast accurate service when it is busy? I am happy to report today's experience continues the trend of better and better service. Lunch today was almost back to the service level I remember from years ago and expect at Friendly's. It took 4 minutes for a server to visit our table. Definitely reasonable in a packed restaurant. After ordering, our meals took 17 minutes to be delivered. A little longer then I remember from past years but still acceptable on all accounts. Our server was friendly and the couple of extra requests we had were accommodated promptly.

I give a lot of credit to Vinny and Andrew as they seem to be turning this location around. I can't say it is perfect yet, but when the kids ask for Friendly's I no longer eliminate this location as a possibility. In the last four visits I have seen marked improvements each time. I hope to see this positive trend continue at the Westborough Friendly's. Continuous improvement requires feedback. I know Vinny checks this blog so please feel free to post comments with your experiences. I will continue to keep an eye on this as well.

Not Your Average Dinner and a Movie

2010-01-03T04:16:00.010-05:00

Our favorite sitter is in town, along with the other college students on winter break, and we are taking full advantage. In fact we have been "out on the town" 4 times in the last week. Movies and dinners are fun, and getting out without the kids is important sometimes. Last night my wife and I had plans to go out with another couple, unfortunately they canceled so we had to shift plans. Last minute plans in the Boroughs on a snowy day are somewhat limited. We decided dinner and a movie would be fun. We got a chance to see "Avatar" and "Up in the Air" earlier this week, so next on the list was "It's Complicated". Sitter arrives at 6 and the movie starts at 7:40.

Our first thought was to stop by Chipotle and sneak something good to eat into the theater, it worked great for Up in the Air, but there was no need to rush tonight. There was enough time for appetizers at one of the great local restaurants. We decided on Not Your Average Joe's.

This was the best decision for the evening we could have made. I have long been a fan of Not Your Average Joe's in Westborough. Another casual, kid friendly restaurant that serves great food. I spent a lot of lunches last summer at NYA Joe's and got to know Seth Caplan, the general manager. Beyond the bread there is a lot to like about NYA Joe's in Westborough. But tonight I found something new. NYA Joe's can help save you money.

As I walked in I was greeted by Seth. I mentioned we were stopping in to have appetizers before a movie and he asked if we had bought our tickets yet. Maybe I am the only one who didn't know this, but you can buy movie passes for the Westborough cinema with your meal at Not Your Average Joe's...and they cost $7.50. I know it is only a total of $6 savings for my wife and I but it felt great. I was ecstatic and it set the tone for a great evening.

I also found out that if you bring your ticket stubs into Not Your Average Joe's after the movie, they will give you a 15% discount on your after movie meal. I have to add these as others reasons I love NYA Joe's in Westborough:

I think I mentioned the bread before... but just to reiterate, I love the bread.
Across the menu, the entrees are great. And it seems Seth is constantly refining the menu, adding new specials and creating new dishes. I used to stick with a few basic items when I went out to eat. Over the past couple of years I have been trying more specials, and 90% of the time I have been pleased. Last summer I tried the Chicken Oscar when it was a special. NYA Joe's Chicken Oscar is amazing, and has now become one of my favorites.
Here is the most important point. Service. This is what this blog is all about, finding great experiences in the local area. I have been to NYA Joe's at least 15 times over the past two years. I have never experienced poor service at the Westborough restaurant. It didn't matter is I was there for lunch, dinner, or late night...a full meal or drinks and appetizers at the bar. I consistently have a great experience. From the hostess to the servers, the bartender to Seth himself, it is obvious that everyone cares about my experience when I am there. I had been putting together a short video for the Taste of the Boroughs event about Not Your Average Joe's in Westborough. Here you can hear it from Seth, his staff, and patrons directly.

As for our evening, after appetizers we had a great time at the movies. A true local date night made not your average with the help of Seth and the team at Not Your Average Joe's in Westborough.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-24T22:03:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to say thank you and Happy Holidays to my readers. I have really enjoyed writing this blog the past few months. I love being part of this area and enjoy the commuity that residents and local businesses have built together.

Happy Holidays

Tavolino Video

2009-12-24T10:27:00.004-05:00

A short update today. I was involved this past week creating a video to promote the Taste of the Boroughs event and one of the first confirmed participants: Tavolino. I wanted to share the end results.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season. Thank you for the comments and encouragement with this blog. I love being a part of the Boroughs and sharing my experiences.

Winter Sledding in the Boroughs

2009-12-22T23:09:00.003-05:00

As an adult, a snow storm usually just means shoveling and snow blowing. Long gone are the days when I would tunnel into the snowbank and build elaborate forts with my friends. But now that my boys are old enough to go out and have fun in the snow I have been looking for the best locations for them (and me) to go sledding.

Of course I could always just go to a ski mountain...there are many around. If you are willing to spend a money you could stay local and go to Ski Ward in Shrewsbury. I have not personally tried this mountain yet, but I know one friend who took his 5 year old for ski lessons last winter and he was really pleased.

Still, for sledding or tubing you shouldn't have to pay for a lift ticket. Old school fun in the snow was my objective. After Sunday's storm, I found what I was looking for at the Westborough Country Club on Rt 30. I tried the same hill last year but my oldest was only 3 1/2. At the time he was not really ready for the hill, but this year it was a different story. I have to say thank you to Westborough. This is a great hill. Growing up in rural NY, there were lots of hills but most of the good one had signs saying keep out or they were directly in someone's backyard. Here, pretty much in the center of town, is a public hill, parking, and a local community having fun.

I expected most of Westborough knew about this spot, but as I recounted the weekend activity to some friends I realized not everyone is aware. For those who have not tried sledding at the Westborough Country Club, here are my thoughts on this location.

Most of the kids there are around 8 - 12. There are a couple that are older, and several parents with younger ones like mine...3 and 5, but the majority are in that bracket.
The collective group of parents is great, they are looking out for each others kids, they remind kids to get out of the way when sledders are coming down. It was nice to feel that community involvement.
There are limited "punks". I feel old saying it, but the punk kids are a pain. The three times I spent sledding in Westborough I didn't find any punk kids.
The hill is fun. I hated when I was younger, after finding a hill that looked fun, discovering that after two runs it held no excitement.
Maybe most importantly, parents can have fun too. Some places seem to frown on parents enjoying the same things are our kids. I for one am trying hard to never give up the simple enjoyments in life...sledding is one of the basics.

Click on the photos for larger images.

View of the whole hill

From the bottom of the run

Midway launch in the foreground, top of hill in the background

A fun run

I loved sledding with my boys at the Westborough Country Club. I would have loved sledding alone, it is a fun hill. I also realize not everyone is in Westborough so I took some time to talk to some other parents over the last two days and find other places I should check out. Here is a collection of what I have found so far. Please feel free to comment with additional hills that I missed.

Northborough - The hill behind Proctor elementary school has been a long time favorite of many people. I haven't checked this one out yet.
Northborough - There is a big hill in the back of the Rt. 135 Soccer fields. There is a great playground there I tried in the summer, I think the Westborough hill is better then this one.
Northborough - Bearfoot Rd at the National Grid building. I tried to find this one today and failed. Just a reference from a Northborough resident, but he claims that this one is the "best".
Marlborough - Jericho Hill on Brigham St. Every person I have talked to has described this hill as intense. I know my boys are too young for an ex-ski slope. I am saving this for a couple of years.
Marlborough - Ward Park is said to have sledding but I don't see that hill being that exciting. I am sure for little kids it works though.
Westborough - Obviously I like the Westborough Country Club, but I am told there is also sledding at Chauncey Lake. I am not sure where to be honest.
Southborough - I asked a couple of my friends who are Southborough residents to help me with hills in Southborough. The only two they knew of are the Fay School and St. Mark's Golf Club. I tried to do a little research on both but didn't come up with much.

One last thing I want to point out...I in no way endorse trespassing onto private property to go sledding. Maybe when I was a kid, but not now. And I don't manage any of these locations so if they don't want sledding please follow their rules. I know the Westborough Country Club and Jericho Hill are public sled areas, but I recommend you check first with the town or whoever owns the property in case I am mistaken. Also, please be safe.

I am going to be checking out a few of these locations this winter...mostly because I love to go sledding too. I'll add some comments to this post on any hills I really enjoy. And I promise to not just take my boys word on it, I will try it out myself. :-)

Back to (Grad) School

2009-12-19T20:38:00.001-05:00

This week marks an exciting milestone for me. I am down to one single class next spring standing between me and a masters degree. For over two years I have been spending at least 2 nights a week attending classes at Clark University's COPACE. My degree with be a masters of science in information technology (MSIT). I noticed several billboards announcing the creation of the Clark University Southborough campus, and their MBA program. I felt it was timely to share my experiences with Clark and their satellite campus as others may be interested in going back to school.

I spent a lot of time in 2007 looking for the best options for a degree program. I was concerned about cost, reputation of the school, and actually learning something from the program. Since I work in Cambridge I had two options; grad school in the city or a satellite school in or around the Boroughs. After lots of evaluations, which would take at least three blogs worth of babble, I decided Clark was the best option for me.

When I began classes the Clark extension campus was located next to the Sheraton Framingham at the junction of I90 and RT9. I spent a lot of time talking with people trying to determine the right degree for me. Most managers automatically get an MBA. I didn't think it fit what I did. I manage some of the sharpest technical people around, I just didn't think refining my skills in finance and marketing would directly translate to work imporvments. I wanted to stay focused on technology and I was lucky that Clark has a great program for this. I restarted my education in the Clark Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program. The focus of this degree is to further develop leadership skills while maintaining some depth of understanding in technology.

I can't lie and say every class taught me something earth-shatteringly new. After 13 plus years managing technical engineers I have come across a lot of things and learned a ton, but the program at Clark did enhance what I knew. It built on my experiences and at times reminded me of some things I had long since forgotten. For example one class was Systems Analysis and Design. At this point in my career I often assign that task out, but the class forced me to go back and remember all the best practices I used to use. Now certain things are fresher in my head and I know this has helped professionally. This class was taught by the Director of the MSIT program Dennis Wadsworth. Getting to know him and see his passion for technology and the multiple generations of leaders in technology has been a great experience.

Another more transparent example is my recent New Media Technologies class. Under the direction of Charles Kronauer, Senior Offerings Manager at EMC, I decided to start a blog...any here you are reading it. I know a blog is not difficult technology, but combining it with twitter, Facebook, and other media sites, as helped me build an audience and allowed me to promote and review something I am passionate about, local businesses. As I am emceeing the Taste of the Boroughs event in March, I have been using a lot of this newly acquired knowledge to create videos and other media for the event. I am even working on a video right now for Tavolino based on my experiences and their involvement in the 2010 event. I will link to it from the blog once I am done. Overall I am impressed with the Clark program and I am proud to have been able to continue my education this many years after the partying and fun I remember from CMU.

Unfortunately the satellite campus in Framingham is now closed but the new campus in Southborough is about to open. The building has a lot to offer that originally wasn't available in Framingham and better yet it is right here in the Boroughs. Now this campus is going to offer the MBA program. I don't have as much personal experience with the MBA program or their professors, but I know the university is committed to maintaining the same standard of education Clark is known for.

For those worried that they have the time...the Clark programs are easier to fit into a schedule then you would think. I would leave work from Cambridge right at 5 on class days, and arrive in the Boroughs by 6:10 Classes started at 6:15. Not much extra time, but like most professional programs Clark understands that many of us have full time jobs, and an occasional late is tolerated. It meant that I didn't tuck my kids into bed one or two nights a week for a semester. My kids are still young, I doubt they will even remember, but more then that I want them to always want to learn and have the desire to continue their education even after they are working professionally and become somewhat stable. If I want them to have that drive, I better have it myself.

And just because the MBA wasn't right for me doesn't mean it isn't a great program. Based on all I have learned I know it is a great program. In fact I have actually be considering getting my MBA as well, those three letters mean a lot to many companies. We'll see how that works out. I wish MSIT or some sort of MTA (MTA is kinda my term, Masters of Technology Administration, at least I think it is my term, I haven't found it elsewhere yet) becomes a standard going forward. Technical managers are more and more prevalent in the interconnected world we all live in.

MSIT program is not being offer in Southborough at this time, you have to drive to Worcester. I do have some inside information that Clark is working on some new options for the MSIT program and ways that it would be offered but if that all comes to fruition it won't be until mid 2010. I'll keep everyone posted. Till then I am excited to have Clark in the Boroughs and I encourage anyone considering going back to school to look into Clark for this option.

Lobster Anyone?

2009-12-15T20:49:00.001-05:00

I know summertime is usually the most common time for lobster specials but over the past couple of weeks I have been seeing lobster specials at several local restaurants and I found two dishes that I really enjoyed.

Sans kids
Grandma was in town a couple of weeks ago and my wife and I took advantage of the free babysitting to use an old gift card to one of the restaurants run by the Worcester restaurant group. We have visited the Sole Proprietor and 111 Chop House many times in the past so we decided to try Via.Italian Table. Overall the meal was good and as expected a bit pricey, but the one thing that really stood out was the appetizer.

Via was offering lobster garlic bread as a special appetizer offered that evening. This appetizer is amazing. A large slice of Italian bread brushed with garlic and butter, topped with large chunks of lobster and several kinds of cheese. It was then baked and served with marinara sauce. My original though for tonight's blog was another lobster dish, but since I am still thinking of the lobster garlic bread at Via and it may have influenced my decision elsewhere I decided I had to give it the credit it deserved.

With the kids
Now onto my original thoughts for tonight. Last week I went to dinner at the Chateau in Westborough. as I think about it now I don't think I ever appreciated the Chateau in Waltham when I lived there...or the one in Westborough is just better. Maybe "family dining" doesn't really make sense until you have a family. Whatever the reason I do enjoy the Chateau in Westborough. I have a few standards that I order, but nothing really exciting just a standard good meal.. My kids stick to the pizza and the chicken fingers, as many kids do, and recently mine have added mozzarella sticks. The meal at the Chateau is always good, the service is fast, and the prices are reasonable. I also like the that atmosphere is slightly noisy. I know my kids have not mastered the volume control on their voices yet and I hate to bother others with a 4 year old's over exuberance for chocolate milk.

Last week on my visit to the Chateau I was in the mood for something different. As I was looking at the specials menu I noticed a special that included mini lobster casserole, with the choice of either broiled scallops, baked stuffed shrimp, marinated sirloin tips, or grilled turkey tips. This is served with rice Florentine and a vegetable for $19.99. I must have still had lobster on the brain from the garlic bread so lobster sounded really good. I ordered the lobster casserole with the steak tips.

I was actually amazed at how good this entree was. Please don't misunderstand I know the Chateau has good food and the general manager, Michelle Sweet, runs a great restaurant, but this was far better then I expected. I think the biggest win was the size of the lobster in the mini casserole. There were huge chucks of lobster. I tried to take a photo with my poor excuse for a phone camera to give readers an idea of the size of this dish. This was the best I could do as I started getting weird stares from the table next to me. Unfortunately the image doesn't really do it justice.

The meal was so good last week, I took the kids out to dinner again tonight...mostly so I could have the same dish again. I am happy to report the second consumption of this special mostly held up to my inflated memory of the first time. I say mostly only because the tips were a done a little too much for me this time. I like to hear the faint moo coming from my steak and these were a little over medium. The first time they were perfect still tonight they were tasty, and the lobster was, once again, the star of the show.

If you think a good lobster dish is only avaible in the summer, I say think again. The Chateau has twice proven to me that they know how to please a lobster lovers palete with potions that will definately fill you up. I may have to take the kids again with grandma when she visits later this month. Lobster love runs in our family, she would be upset if I don't include her in this find.

Beer Cookies at Vin Bin

2009-12-08T16:08:00.003-05:00

I mentioned on Sunday that I wanted to try the beer cookie...but ended up at a wine tasting, not a bad night but I still wanted to try the beer cookie. This all began when I was logged into my twitter account Friday night and I noticed a retweet from Taste of the Boroughs about Beer Cookies being sold at the Vin Bin in Marlborough starting today. Now I enjoy a quality brew as much as anyone, but in my years of running up bar tabs I have yet to encounter a "beer cookie". I was intrigued and attempted an early evaluation on Sunday but it took till today to actually get my hands on the snack.

Rick Lombardi, Vin Bin owner, was kind enough to share some of his beer cookie samples so I could write today's blog. I decided the best way to experience the beer cookie was to of course enjoy a beer as well. One of my favorite brews Dogfish is carried at Vin Bin so I grabbed a couple of bottles and headed home to evaluate my new find.

At first I tried the beer cookie alone and the flavor was a bit overwhelmed with fennel. But when I opened a Dogfish I really enjoyed the beer cookie. The powerful fennel works better as a compliment to the hops in the beer. The cookie is somewhat like a crisp bagel but not as crunchy as a pretzel with fennel flavor. I only tried the original, but I believe there is a pepper flavor.

After a little research I found out that Matt Virzi is the owner of Bokos bakery in Shrewsbury and the creator of the beer cookie. Matt created the beer cookie by modifying his grandmothers recipe for taralli to, among other things, include beer in the ingredients. For the Italian cooks out there taralli is pretty well known but this was my first experience.

As I said, I enjoyed the beer cookie, especially with the beer. :-) And it does seem to enhance the flavor of the brew. If you don't like beer or if you hate fennel I am not sure the beer cookie will please your palette but as I tell my 5 year old, you can't be sure until you try it. Currently the Vin Bin is one of a select few Boroughs location where you can find the beer cookie. Congrats to the Vin Bin for supporting local business by carrying this item. We'll see who else in the Boroughs picks up this unique item.

Packed into the Vin Bin

2009-12-06T21:28:00.000-05:00

I may be in the minority here, but I am happy to greet winter and our first lasting snow. After lots of running around today I stopped in Marlborough to visit Rick at the Vin Bin. I wanted to try one of the Beer Cookies that he will begin carrying this week. Unfortunately Rick was out of samples and I'll have to wait till Tuesday for my first taste of the beer cookie. I may have failed in my quest for a beer cookie but I succeeded in walking into a wine tasting.

The Vin Bin, a long time supporter of many community events and activities was running a wine tasting to help raise funding for the Marlborough High School 2010 Seniors All-nighter. The All-nighter is an alcohol- and drug-free event following the Senior Prom. Funding for this event comes entirely from the community, the school district does not provide monetary support for this event. I love the irony ...holding a wine tasting to support an alcohol free event. But it is a great event and the tasting was a lot of fun as well.

I really enjoyed talking to a fellow residents sampling the wine that Rick had on special. The Vin Bin was packed with people as you can see by the photos I snapped with the blackberry. Rick, as usual, did a great job of pulling out all the stops for the event. There were several great wines to taste, with special prices for tonight ranging from under $15 to around $50.

The Vin Bin also had a great cheese and cracker assortment for everyone to enjoy. And, one of my personal favorites, dark chocolate covered pretzels. Rick mentioned that he had several events planned for the upcoming weeks, too many to mention here, but I am happy to pass on the link to the Vin Bin event calendar. I have been to several Vin Bin tastings over the past 5 years. Rick really does a nice job with the tastings and consistently supports the organizations in this area. .

I enjoyed the MHS event and I am proud to have stumbled upon a way to support them. Thank you Vin Bin. And Congrats to the organizers of the All-nighter for getting the word out. I'll even help, the next opportunity that I know of to help support the All-nighter is:

Tuesday December 15th

Bertucci's of Marlborough

The Vin Bin had a flyer on the counter advertising the next MHS All-nighter events at Bertucci's of Marlborough.. If you present this half sheet of paper on any purchases at Bertucci's in Marlborough on 12/15 10% of your bill will be given to the MHS Senior All-nighter. This is valid for carry-in or take out. Reading this online makes it hard to have the flyer, so I scanned mine to make it as easy as possible to support these efforts. If anyone from MHS reads this, please feel free to comment with a link to other events. Hopefully Bertucci's will be happy with the printed I did a little searching on-line but failed to find a listing of the fundraising activities for this event.

I just opened the bottle of Riesling I picked up at the Vin Bin tonight, time to sit back and relax.

Is there a key lime yogurt shortage?

2009-12-03T22:01:00.000-05:00

I know this is a slight diversion to my usual blog but after talking about Roche Bros catering, the events this evening fit the theme of local supermarkets. My wife stopped on the way home from work at Stop and Shop to pick up a couple of items. One item we hoped to pick up was key lime pie yogurt, but there was no key lime pie yogurt for us this evening.

Let me explain some background first...I have mentioned in past blogs that my kids are extremely picky about what they will eat. Breakfast is no exception. A typical breakfast includes a bagel or toast, yogurt, and/or Cheerios...simple/basic/reasonably nutritious. We used to have different kinds of yogurt when the kids were infants, all flavors of yo-baby were acceptable. As we shifted to regular Yoplait yogurt, we tried to include several flavors to maintain the variety the kids were used to.

At some point my oldest tried key lime pie Yoplait yogurt and decided all other flavors were inferior. Although it is quite sweet, there are far worse things to be a breakfast standard so we didn't fight when he stopped wanting any other flavor.

Now to my question and the topic of this blog...are all the kids in Westborough focused on key lime pie yogurt. I consistently can't find key lime pie flavor original Yoplait. Consistently to the point where I have been keeping track. In the past 4 months 18 of our 24 visits to the three Westborough grocery stores resulted in failure to find the key lime pie flavor. There are great sales rotating through Roche Bros and Stop and Shop every couple of weeks, 20 yogurts for $10. Every time I catch this sale and a store stocked with key lime flavor, I buy the entire shelf because all too often I can't find this flavor. I am sure that contributes to the shortage, but is everyone out there on the same quest? Most other flavors always seem to be available.

Tonight was another instance when we came up empty handed in our search for key lime pie. A note to the stores in the area, it may be time to order more. :-)

Roche Bros Catering

2009-12-03T00:45:00.000-05:00

I love to cook, and I love to entertain. A great combination but over the past couple of years I have started using Roche Bros for almost all of the events where I am providing the food. I like to show off and I pride myself on being a good cook, but Roche Bros provides better food at a reasonable price through their catering department. It makes more sense for me to focus on other aspects of my parties and with Roche Bros catering I am confident that the food I ordered will impress my guests and enhance the event.

I will admit that so far my experiences have been focused on cheese platters or hot and cold appetizers. I haven't tried the entrees, salads, or desserts but based on my experience I would be willing to try any of them. I am 100% satisfied with what Roche Bros catering in Westborough has provided so far. Here are some specifics as to why:

Quality - The food is great. At one annual party I order honey stung drummies, bacon wrapped scallops, sesame chicken, fried mozzarella and ravioli, coconut shrimp, and beef teriyaki skewers. Every item was delivered hot, fresh and was very tasty. At several other events I have ordered the European cheese classic which includes Camembert, plain, pepper and herb Brie, Danish Havarti and Fontina. This platter is amazing. Everyone loved it so much at one party, attendees asked if I had found a gourmet cheese shop. I was happy to direct them to Roche Bros.
Selection - There is an almost overwhelming number of options from Roche Bros catering. They also just redesigned their catering menu, Roche Bros Catering, to highlight all of the options. I had trouble choosing what was right for my first event but I talked to Denise, the catering manager, and she took the time to cover options the would fit my event.
Service - I have mentioned many times, that service is often the most important aspect to anything I do. Denise is obviously committed to serving her customers. Denise and I have talked several times while I plan my parties. Each time she find new ways to be helpful. One party I even asked her deliver the food in two batches to help manage the event. She was more the willing to accommodate the request. The delivery drivers are also courteous and efficient. When they arrived they even took a moment to help get things set up. They even took away the boxes for me as I set up the displays. Obviously this is more then the standard drop off services. It shows that customer service and repeat business is critical to their management and employees.

For my grocery needs I am not exclusively a Roche Bros shopper, but I frequent the store. For my catering needs, Roche Bros has become my go to location. The Roche Bros in Westborough, and the corporate Roche Bros organization, strive to be more customer service focused then others. And I am proud to say I feel they are committed to the community. There have been several articles and blogs about the community support Roche Bros offers and my experiences are no different.

Through some of the community organizations I participate in, I have gotten to know Kevin Fry, the manager at the Westborough Roche Bros. Kevin consistantly deminstrates support for the area. He seems proud to contribute to community events and support the Boroughs. This is exactly the type of business and manager the Boroughs deserves. And these interactions that make me proud to patronize the store in Westborough.

Gobble Wobble Follow-up

2009-11-26T14:27:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to the Friends of the Southborough Recreation Department on their 3rd Annual Gobble Wobble. My family and I had a great time at the event. And the turnout was impressive. We arrived after the 5k was underway...at about 9:10, but based on the number of people running it appeared to be a huge success. Everywhere I looked, I saw families out together enjoying what turned out to be a bit of a foggy morning. The family walk, the 5k race, and the fun run were packed with community members enjoying the event.

The fun run was very exciting for my kids. Both of my boys wanted to run a little longer, but for the 3 to 5 year old bracket I think the event organizers did a great job choosing the 1/4 track run. And it was easy for me to send them around the track for extra laps after the other groups finished. The distance for 6 to 8 year olds was about 1/2 the track, and 9 to 11 year olds ran a full lap. Except for a small collision with some kids in the 6 to 8 year old group the fun run was full of smiles and laughter.

Inside the middle school gym, there was a large donation bin for the troops. I am proud to see so many people contributed to the care packages for our troops and I am equally proud of the local businesses that donated prizes for the raffle. This is the type of community support from families, businesses, and volunteers that makes me proud to live in the Boroughs.

Then as fast as one of the races, it was all over. By 10:07 the, donuts were gone, the coffee was dry and the parking lot was clear. Everyone was either home cooking turkey or heading to the Westborough/Algonquin football game. Next year maybe I will try to attend the game too, originally I wasn't sure if there would be time, but the Gobble Wobble, for all its fun, was over fast.

Happy Thanksgiving to of all my readers. I hope you have a somewhat stress free holiday and get some time to relax.

Gobble Wobble Southborough

2009-11-25T11:48:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving has taken an interesting turn for me this year. I usually host a large Thanksgiving dinner, but both sides of the extended family are out of town this year. Mostly taking care of elderly grandparents who can't really make the trip to Westborough.

This put me on a quest for something fun to do with the family. Reading some of the local blogs and news sites I considered the annual Algonquin/Westborough football game. Info from www.mysouthborough.com - The Thanksgiving Day rivalry between Algonquin and Westborough stretches back more than five decades. The game starts at 10:15 at Algonquin. My kids are still in preschool and I doubt they will be happy sitting and watching a full game...maybe in a couple of years, so I am going to pass this time on the football game.

I was looking for other options when I received a flyer at my boys preschool advertising the 3rd Annual Gobble Wobble. This is a fundraiser to benefit "Friends of the Southborough Recreation Department". It looks like a lot of fun, there is a 5k Race and a 2 Mile family Walk, raffles and other activities. Thanksgiving should be clear of the rain and as we head into the winter months of New England, I am taking ever opportunity to spend time outside.

Registration links and information are on the Southborough recreation website. I am in no way a runner so you won't see me at the 5k, but I registering my kids up for the Gobble Wobble Fun Run. All pre-registered children will get a free round of golf at Trombetta’s Farm. I also read that race day refreshments are being provided by Dunkin Donuts and the British Beer Company. I am also a little excited to see what the British Beer Company has for morning refreshments. :-)

The event is also incorporating a collection for our troops. Each donation earns an entry into the raffles. Prizes from the raffles include gift cards and goods from local merchants such as British Beer Company, Tomasso’s, Panzano’s, Trombetta’s Farm, Southboro House of Pizza, Eros, Sperry’s, Mauro’s Market & Café, English Garden Florist, Domino’s, and Yummy Mummy Brownies. Yummy Mummy Brownies was at the Taste of the Boroughs last year, they are delicious. I am excited to see what they donated.

If you are out in Southborough tomorrow, I'll see you at the Gobble Wobble. If you miss it, check here for a post event update on how it ran. Time for me to collect a couple of donations for the troops.

3rd Annual Gobble Wobble
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2009
Time: 8:30 AM 5K Race; 2 Mile Family Walk
9:30 Kids Fun Run
Place: Trottier School
49 Parkerville Road, Southborough, MA

Kingdom Cuts Westborough

2009-11-22T21:33:00.001-05:00

The boys were looking a little shaggy last week, but there too much going on to think about it. This week something had to be done with their hair. I decided to try to new Kingdom Cuts in Westborough. Kingdom Cuts is located at 30 Lyman, in the same strip plaza as Il Forno Italian Restaurant‎ and Profilo Day Spas. This is the second Kingdom Cuts location, the first is in Frankin. Typically we would be driving to Snip Its in Framingham, so saving the 20 min each way drive sounded good to me.

We heard from a friend last week that the Children's Orchard was giving 50% off coupons to Kingdom Cuts, but when I stopped by in Thursday they were out of coupons. Then, I was leafing through the Community Advocate newspaper I noticed a 50% off coupon for Kingdom Cuts. I dug through the newspaper recycle pile and found last weeks Community Advocate and successfully located a second 50% off coupon. I was ready to make the trip and see how they handled children's haircuts.

Details of our visit:

Setup - The room is fairly large and somewhat sparse at the moment. There is a reception desk and a waiting area with several chairs. A flat panel TV is mounted on the wall of the waiting area. While I was waiting a Scooby Doo DVD was playing on this TV. There is a bookshelf with children's books and a train table. Basically enough to keep kids occupied but not so much that the owners would be spending every evening trying to put things back in order. I do however foresee a 3 year old standoff in the future when there are several people waiting and they all want the train. Behind the waiting area there are four hair stations set up and a nails station. There is a lot of room for other stations as well, but I expect that will come with customers and demand. Each station has a small flat panel tv and a Playstation2. There is a shelf of games and movies that kids can choose from when they are ready for their turn. Both of my kids wanted to watch the same DVD and ended up in different chairs. I can see this being touchy in the future with other kids, I was lucky and the oldest decided to choose again.
The Wait - I am told I was the first customer in Westborough to have to wait since they opened. When I arrived there were two children getting haircuts and another (the brother of one in a chair) waiting for his turn. Even so I waited less then 15 minutes for my first son to be called, and the second was called before we even started.
The Cut - Watching a video the kids choose worked well. Better I feel then the annoying same song over and over at Snip Its. I would not be surprised if they weren't open to you bringing your own DVD if there is a special one at home. The haircuts for both of my kids came out good.

The oldest has lots of cowlicks, and it is difficult to cut his hair straight. Michele did a good job between wetting and drying his hair to make sure things ended up even. Looking at it the next day it still looks straight and sharp.
My youngest HATES the buzzers, but Deanna, the stylist, did a good job keeping him involved and at points just asked me to help hold him. She was patient and calming, but she knew when to just get it done. He actually did better at Kingdom Cuts that he has anywhere else, and his hair looks good because of it.

Snacks - Those who have been to Snip Its know all about the animal crackers and lollipops available for children to enjoy while getting their hair cut. Kingdom Cuts does not have the never ending supply of animal crackers but they do have lollipops available at the end. I always thought it was weird trying to munch on a lollipop or cookie as hair is falling about. It seemed easier to just zone into the DVD rather then eat through the haircut.
Prizes - There isn't a weird card machine spitting out a junk and sometimes not age appropriate prizes at Kingdom Cuts...but there are stickers.
Discounts and frequent visits - Kingdom Cuts provides a frequent visit card that you get stamped each time you visit. 9 stamps entitles the owner to a free cut. Other then the coupons I found in the Community Advocate I don't know of any other discounts. I provided my email address so we'll see if anything comes through email.
Hours - Kingdom Cuts is only open Tuesday - Saturday. Westborough hours are:

Tuesday 10 - 5:30pm
Wednesday 10 - 5:30pm
Thursday 10 - 5:30pm
Friday 10 - 5:30pm
Saturday 9 - 3:00pm

Prices - While there I heard the customer before me talking about the price difference between the Westborough store and the Franklin store, but the stylist mentioned that both would be the same soon. I am not sure which is more or less expensive, but I grabbed a photo of the price sheet to share while I was there. I apologize for the poor quality of my blackberry camera and of course I have no claim to these remaining the prices offered. At the top of the list is just the haircut - $16.00 but with the coupons, it was only $8.

Overall, I am happy with the service...I am not singing from the rooftops the praises of Kingdom Cuts, but I definitely feel I received a quality service as a good price. I look forward to saving the drive to Framingham again in he future and watching Kingdom Cuts grow in our community. I am proud to be able to support another quality Boroughs service.

Follow-up on the One Stop Shop

2009-11-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

As promised I wanted to fill people in on the One Stop Shop event this evening. If there are any early morning blog readers the event continues tomorrow from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm.

Lots of interesting vendors at the event tonight with items that are not available at Walmart or Target. Here is a quick review of the highlights of the evening.

Paper Confections Creations has some BEAUTIFUL note cards and stationary. I was impressed with their display and the items they were selling. I am not a paper note writer, so I didn't buy anything but I was tempted, they really have quality things.

I mentioned in yesterday's blog Just So Designs. I got a few moments to talk with Sue and take a look through some of her latest work. She continues to show her amazing skills through her photography. She also had a series of note cards that were really nice. My wife and I will probably be setting up a shoot for our kids at some point in the future and I'll write them again.

My wife and I also noticed the dresses that was worn by the vendors for Lyn Evans. They were pretty and very unique. I am sure my wife will stop by their location and if I end up going with her I will of course report on our findings and experience. I asked for the mangers card to make sure I remember to visit, BUT tonight I found a flaw in their store. Although they claim their website is www.lynevans.com, I haven't had any success getting the site to load tonight. Definitely not a positive attribute when people leaving the event can't log on to check out more merchandise.

Now this part may only apply to me or maybe only the males out there, but the Brajamawear items...I just didn't get it. I think the tag line is "pajamas are not just for sleeping". Brajamawear are pajama sets with bras built in. Now I understand that this would probably be more supportive for women, especially while wearing these pajamas around the house, but I just don't get it. Again this could be attributed to me being male, but I know I saw the same puzzled expression from some women when they first saw them. Just because I don't get it, don't mean anyone should discount them. I just may have lots to learn.

Overall I had a fun time, saw some interesting items, got a couple of holiday gifts out of the way...AND enjoyed a night out with free wine and cheese. Thanks goes out to the WAJCC for putting on this event.

One Stop Shop

2009-11-18T15:28:00.000-05:00

I was going to take some time today to blog about the new Clark campus opening in Southborough, but that will need to wait...grandma is in town which means my wife and I can get out of the house on a week night without budgeting for a sitter.

In our quest to find fun local activities we discovered the One Stop Shop happening Thursday, November 19th from 6:30 - 9:00 pm at the Westboro Area JCC. This event looks like it will be a lot of fun and my wife and I will both be there. Last year I emceed the Taste of the Boroughs event and really enjoyed highlighting the local restaurants and businesses that were involved. The WAJCC is always committed to community involvement and knows how to throw a great event so I am excited to get out and socialize. Here is what I know about The One Stop Shop:

Thursday, November 19th from 6:30 am - 9:00 pm
also Friday, November 20th from 8:30 am - 2:00 pm
WAJCC
54 Oak Street
Westborough, MA

Cost: FREE!!!
Overview: This is a social event and wine and cheese will be served. Several vendors will be presenting unique gift ideas for the upcoming season or any occasion.
Raffle Prize: Overnight hotel accommodations at the Trump Marina, Atlantic City with buffet breakfast for two.

Known participants in the event
3 Sisters of N.Y.
Brajamawear LLC
Creme de la Curry
D&B Creations
Elsie Kaye Glassworks
Hearts & Hugs
Just So Designs
Bags by Kim
Lyn Evan for Potpourri Designs
Mary Kay
Out of Hand
Pottery by Jacqui
Simply Dahlicious Custom Catering
Paper Confections Design
Westboro Tennis & Swim
Bloomy's Buff & Stuff
Pampered Chef
Beads n' Jewels by Design
Indago Design
JMF Pets, Tupperware

This group of vendors has some really great stuff. I added links for the ones I knew. I also want to highlight two that I have had personal experience with in the past.

If you haven't tried Simply Dahlicious, you should go to this event for them alone. They were a participant at the 2009 Taste of the Boroughs and were loved by all attendees. I believe during the event last year I had at least 4 cupcakes from Simply Dahlicious. They were just so...delicious! From the experiences of my friends Simply Dahlicious works closely with event planners to understand each event. They design a menu custom-tailored to the event and its guests. They really put in the effort to make an event extra special.

I also noticed on this list is Just So Designs. Just So Designs is photography by Susan Oger. She is an amazing photographer and extremely creative person. I have a set of prints from a photo shoot Sue did with my kids a couple of months ago. She has a great eye for contrast and brings out so much life in her photos.

I am excited for tomorrow's event, not just because my wife and I can get out for the evening, but the WAJCC always creates a fun atmosphere and the vendors have such great items. I hope to see others there.

Tavolino Ribbon Cutting

2009-11-18T15:11:00.001-05:00

I received a Twitter update this morning from Corridor Nine Area Chamber of Commerce, announcing a Ribbon Cutting tonight at Tavolino Ristorante. As I mentioned in my last blog I am impressed with this restaurant, and I have been talking all week with several people about my experience. I don't know what this event has to offer, it my just be the ribbon being cut, but I wanted to pass on the info for those interested.

Tonight 11/18
Tavolino Restaurante
4:30 PM
Bay State Commons, Westborough

Tavolino Westborough

2009-11-15T19:59:00.001-05:00

I love to eat out, so a new restaurant in the Boroughs is just the type of thing to cap off a good weekend. Last week, I was eating lunch at Panera at the Bay State commons and walked over to Tavolino to get an idea of what type of place it is. A quick look at the menu and the decor puts Tavolino into one of my favorite categories of restaurants; kid friendly, but not kid focused. Tavolino is considered a casual-upscale restaurant and serves classic and contemporary Italian dishes. They have an extensive selection of gourmet pizzas, an very respectable selection of wines with over a dozen available by the glass, and a reasonable kids menu. They serve lunch and dinner.

Although the Westborough location has been open for a month or so I just hadn't had the time to get over there to try it out, and from the outside I was originally thinking that dinner at Tavolino would be just the wife and I, so a sitter was to be in order, but after our lunch stop by to check it out I decided to bring the whole family. The kids as well as my wife and I were excited to try out this new addition to downtown Westborough.

I am happy to report that the whole family gives two thumbs enthusiastically up for Tavolino. The only hesitation with Tavolino is it seems to be a little more expensive then some other options.

Specifics on the meal:

Similar to Not Your Average Joe's, Tavolino offers a foccacia bread basket and a oil/parmesan/red pepper dipping sauce. Very tasty I must say.
For the kids, my oldest ordered cheese pizza. Tavolino serves two standard size slices as the kids portion rather then a mini pizza. The crust is very thin and my oldest enjoyed devouring both pieces. My youngest ordered the grilled cheese. My wife always "shares" a little of the grilled cheeses that we get for the youngest and she raved about this particular grilled cheese several times throughout the meal. Thumbs up there.
I usually order chicken parmigiana as my first meal at any Italian restaurant. It makes it really easy to gauge the quality against all others. We decided as we were ordering that we would share a Caesar salad and chicken parmigiana rather then each order our own. The salad was great, not overdosed with dressing and fresh. The chicken parmigiana was HUGE. Way more food then I can eat for dinner, splitting it was the perfect amount. Tavolino uses a chunky sauce on their chicken parmigiana, which is not usually my favorite, but it was very good...tender, delicious chicken.
The food came out fast. I have blogged before about some horrors waiting for food when kids are involved, Tavolino has their act together in the kitchen, food came out quick and hot.
I'll throw out a nod to our waitress tonight as well. Stacy, does the little things that show understanding by a waiter/waitress. She noticed I finished my soda quickly and was already bringing a refill before I asked. She also noticed the kids dropping a fork, and brought a replacement without prompting. Attentive without hovering, she deserved the 20% tip I gave her.
I hinted earlier that cost is a little high. Our meal broke down like this:
- Soda $2.50
- Chocolate milk $1.95
- Caesar Salad $9.00
- Kids Pizza $7.50
- Kids Grilled Cheese and fries $7.00
- Chicken Parmigiana $19.00
It's not that it was crazy, but it is a little more expensive then other places with similar kid friendly, but not kid focused atmospheres. If my wife and I hadn't split the salad and chicken parmigiana , I probably would have noticed the total price a little more too. There is a lot of quality food for the price so I don't feel I missed out on value, but in this economy we all take a little time to notice what we are spending.
I didn't get a chance to sample any wines tonight. I did glance over the list and I do plan on returning to try some. I also can see how Tavolino will bring some competition for Bertucci's as i saw several gourmet pizzas at other tables that looked great.

I welcome Tavolino to Westborough and I look forward to visiting them sans kids to see what else they have to offer. I am also excited to have a new location to go out to dinner even with the kids that has a higher standard of food. Check out there website at: www.tavolinorestaurant.us. The website is focused on the Foxborough location but there are copies of the menus and they are the same in Westborough.

What happened to the Northborough Friendly's?

2009-11-13T00:45:00.000-05:00

Since the kids didn't have school on Veteran's Day, we decided to head over to Friendly's in Northborough to take advantage of the $1.99 kids meals on Wednesdays. Friendly's isn't remotely close to fine dining, but it HAD three appealing factors.

Speed, the food comes out fast and when kids are hungry calm to emotional can happen in seconds.
Space, even during lunch and dinner rushes, the Northborough Friendly's seem to have enough space for everyone.
Noise, even the most behaved children occasionally get loud. It all blends into the noise level at Friendly's.

Basic stuff, and the food was ok. For the past few years my visits were all decent, but something has been happening lately, and not for the good. Unfortunately my experiences the past few months have been pretty poor.

On separate occasions over the spring and summer we took the family to eat lunch and had bad experiences attempting Sunday lunch.

The first time, we arrived at Friendly's at 11:50. We were seated immediately and the server said they are now doing lunch. That was our plan anyway so no issue there, we ordered immediately. Basic order, grilled cheese, chicken fingers, mandarin salad, and a chicken sandwich. It took till 12:10 to get drinks. The kids were being good, but I started to worry a bit, we started the standard stare down wait staff till someone realizes you are looking for them. When the server stopped again it was 12: 25, we asked if our food was coming. They said the grills had to be switched over and it should be up soon. Ok, I understand, I once worked as a cook in college and it takes a little time to get things moving from a fresh start on the grill, but this seemed long. At 12:45 we got our food. Best case it was a 50 minute wait. The manger on shift came by knowing we were a little annoyed and she tried to make amends and gave us one of the kids meals free.

Ok at this point, I say whatever, sometimes things go wrong. But then a couple of weeks later it was the same thing. This time it was 12:10 when we sat down and we didn't get our food till 1:20. That time the waitress was new, and part of the delay was almost 30 minutes before she entered the order. And that time the manager didn't offer anything, instead tried to tell me that when the waitress entered the order is when they start counting time.

The next time we ate there, it was the same weird extra long slowness, and the manager came out to tell us he had sent the other cook home cause it was slow. Then it got busy and he was cooking. The restaurant had no more then 8 tables full at the time, and I expect they are used to far more people.

After that experience, we stopped going for lunch on Sundays. Took us long enough...

Then on Veteran's Day, the kids asked for Friendly's and we figured it wasn't a Sunday so we would give it a try. We arrived at 12:30. There were about 15 people waiting at that point, 7 were in one party, 2 parties of 2 people, and one party of 4. Looking at the restaurant it was no more then 30% full, and many tables appeared to be having desert, so although we were a little concerned we waited to put our name in. After 10 minutes a line had formed behind us and still no one working there had even acknowledged our presence. Then we overheard the woman sitting and waiting next to us that she was already waiting for 40 minutes just to get a seat. I had to give up. That was it, after some convincing the kids choose Not Your Average Joe's in Westborough.

I don't expect a lot from Friendly's, reasonable food, cheap, quick. Better then fast food, but still nothing spectacular. Whoever is in charge at the Friendly's in Northborough is not paying attention to how the restaurant is run. It seems they are always short a cook and wait staff is not on the ball. I am not saying running a restaurant is easy, and the employees desiring to work at Friendly's may not be Harvard educated, driven professionals but in this economy there has to be reasonable employees out there, and some leadership that can organize and guide them.

Something needs to be done, with options like Joe's, Chateau, Uno's, the other Friendly's all right down the road, I can't see Friendly's Northborough lasting much longer with this type of service. I know I have removed it from my list as a standard. I actively try to steer the kids to other locations if they ask now. I am sure I can't be the only patron to have these experiences.

Swimming in the Winter?

2009-11-07T15:36:00.000-05:00

So it's a little cold outside, but don't put the swimsuits in the attic just yet, there are still lots of ways to enjoy the water in the Boroughs and swim lessons shouldn't be just a summertime activity.

I started writing today's blog while my kids were taking their weekly swim lessons. I started them in lessons right about age two. At that age parents must accompany their children at lessons. Now I know there are a people reading this thinking: Hey, I don't really have the body I had when I was 24, I'm not sure I want to grab a swimsuit and jump in the public pool. Maybe I can wait till the program takes the kids without me. Most places you can wait, but the places I have attended in the Boroughs are not Ocean City on spring break or the French Riviera, no one cares how much damage a desk job or the general stresses of having kids do to ones body. I say relax, when it comes to comfort in the water I believe it is better to start early.

When I was younger I spent my summers at a YMCA day camp. I learned to swim through their program and loved every minute of it. After I was through all of swim levels at the camp I began teaching. I taught swim lessons for over 6 years...a long long time ago :-) Having taught lessons made it easy for me to get my kids started but based on my experiences the program at the Boroughs YMCA still follows the same format, is fun, and reinforces the right skills for kids to be confident in the water.

While living in the Boroughs I have been a member of the Wayside Racquet and Swim Club as the Boroughs YMCA. I know a lot of friends who are members at the Westboro Tennis and Swim Club, but I really don't know a lot about their programs to date. As for Wayside, I enjoyed it as an adult playing raquetball and swimming, but I always planned on participating in the YMCA programs with the kids...mostly based on my own childhood. When it comes to swim I still feel the YMCA comes out on top.

Reasons:

The program - The YMCA does a good job of breaking up the various levels of swim instruction into discernible chunks that kids can complete in a season, and that parents can see the difference with each stage. Kids focus on one or two things each level. Especially in the preschool classes the goals are simple and focus on comfort in the water and basic movements. Most kids start with a bubble and a parent in the Parent and Pike class. The YMCA program will not allow kids to swim without parents till 3 years old, but I found great value in starting just after 2 with my kids. When it came time for my youngest to go into a class by himself, he skipped the first level, all of that is because of the earlier practice. I was also a lifeguard and Red Cross swim instructor years ago as well. I never really liked the red cross swim program for younger kids. Without really creative teachers it took a long time to move to each level. I know lots of kids that got discouraged and bored as they tried to work on the sames things all the time. Clear obtainable goals lets kids feel progress and want to keep going.
The price - Swim lessons anywhere are not cheap, but these days nothing is. Comparing to Wayside, I feel the YMCA is cheaper especially when you add in the cost of a family membership and the discounts those memberships get for swim lessons. As a family member at the Boroughs YMCA an 8 session swim class is $56. A family member at the Wayside will pay $88 for the same number of classes there.
The people - Donald...is one of these people. Now I have to be fair, I felt the teacher I had for the Parent and Pike class for the three sessions I attended was not that good, but still she was trying to get people through the basics. I bet that with a few pointers she would have been better. She just needed to talk to the parents and teach them how to teach the children. But Donald who teaches Pike and Eel classes is so amazing he more then makes up for any others I have met to date. At this point I feel helps carry the program. I hope I was that good of an instructor all those years ago. Donald is very relaxed, he listens to the kids and he lets them play. Preschool kids need time to laugh, to explore the drain at the side of the pool to hear the instructor laughing and excited with them. It makes their overall experience great. Donald is that type of teacher. To be honest I don't even know Donald's last name, but if you are at the YMCA you can recognize him as the man with the picture of a lion head and the word HONOR tattooed on his back. My kids adore Donald, they can't want to see him and are eager to impress him because they have FUN every time they swim. Associating lessons with fun is a win in my book.

If you haven't checked out the YMCA swim programs, I do recommend them. I know the fall/winter/spring sessions are pretty busy and full, but the summer sessions do seem to have space for even non-members. You can also check out more details on their website: www.ymcaworcester.org. The "programs" link has a PDF with swim information.

Battle of the Birthday Parties

2009-11-06T20:50:00.001-05:00

I have two preschool children and as my kids get older we are invited to more and more birthday parties. Classmates, our friend's children, and our own children are having larger and larger parties with lots of little friends running around having fun. As a parent there are a lot of options in the Boroughs area, and we want to host enjoyable parties for our kids, their friends, and their friend's parents. Having participated in several and paid for some myself, I wanted to share some of what I have found. I have included some cost estimates based on what I and my friends have spent, if I know. Obviously these estimates as they are round numbers and I in no way represent the facilities so prices may have changed. These are just past experiences.

I know this doesn't cover every facility in the Boroughs. These seem to be the ones frequented the most in my, and my children's circle of friends. I included a few options at the end that are not real reviews but interesting all the same. If anyone has vastly different experiences or would like to back up my analysis, please comment.

The Little Gym
http://www.thelittlegym.com/
Westborough

Party Length - 1 hour 30 minutes
Facility cost for18 kids - $240

Additional costs, not required:
Cake - $10 Two, baked out of a box at home
Gift bags - $40 - Target $1 bin plus a lollipop and stickers about $1.50 per kid plus bags (25 just in case)

Party Organization - I have attended several parties here. My experiences have all been about the same. Once you book the party, they provide invitations for parents to send out. An hour of playtime that consists several structured games with free play in-between on the equipment. The kids have a great time, and the birthday child get to go first for every game. After an hour of activities, the kids are brought into the party room for cake. The Little Gym provides juice boxes, plates and utensils, and does all the set up for parents.

Review - The Little Gym Westborough puts on a great party. My experiences have been parties for 3, 4, 5, and 6 year olds, but each one ran smoothly, the kids had a great time and overall I think there is great value in a party at the Little Gym. I also think the Little Gym caters to older children as well. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I am a fan of the Little Gym in Westborough and if you manage to have Mr. Tim at the party it is even better. There is a point at the party where the facilitators pull out a set of play stairs and try to facilitate a photo opportunity for all parents. It has actually worked each time that I witnessed it.

TEAMWORKS
http://www.twcenters.com/home
Northborough

Party Length - 2 hour 15 minutes
Member Rate: $265 (covers up to 16 children), $7 per additional child
Non-Member Rate: $280 (covers up to 16 children), $10 per additional child

Additional costs, not required:
I only attended this one, but there would be an additional cake cost.

Party Organization - The kids get 30 minutes to play on oversized inflatables. When I was there, it was a combination bouncy house with a single slide and one of the inflatable obstacle courses. After that instructors do 1 hour field time, Catch games, soccer, and other running games. Every 15 min they take a water break. Finally the kids get 45 minutes in the party room. In the party room the kids eat the pizza, sing and have cake.

Review - The inflatables used are pretty beat up, but work fine and the instructors did a good job playing with the kids. The TEAMWORKS party was good, but for preschool (3, 4, 5 year olds) I have preferred other places more. Other TEAMWORKS experiences have had other then parties were good and definitely enjoyed by my kids, but they don't have a superstar instructor that I have experienced, and the facility is a little more warehouseish. I will say one of the biggest positives is that for parties, they do include everything. Invitations, party supplies, thank you cards, goodie bags, food and fun are all covered. All a parent needs to bring is the cake.

PlayTown Express
http://www.playtownexpress.com/
Hopkinton

Party Length - 2 hours
Facility cost for 16 kids - $250

Additional costs, not required:
Pizza - $85 delivered to Playtown from a local pizza place
Cake - $10 Two, baked out of a box at home
Bottled water - $5 - For the adults, we don't' always want a juice box
Gift bags - $55 - Target $1 sandbox toys plus a kids toothbrush, stickers, and a bag of goldfish crackers about $2.75 per kid plus bags (20 just in case)

Party Organization - PlayTown is simple, the kids play in the giant play room, for a little over an hour, then they eat in the party room in the front of the facility. They offer these parties at various times, check their website for details. We chose a Saturday evening party. PlayTown Express does focus a little younger then TEAMWORKS and some others. Definitely a preschool age is best. Not that other slightly older wouldn't have fun, it just isn't focused on them. The parties I have hosted and attended at PlayTown both happen to have been for a 3rd birthday.

Review - PlayTown ends up being one of the more expensive options that I have experienced, but it is really great for several reasons. 1. The facility has a lot of activities for the kids. This helps keep kids enjoying the whole time. 2. The setup allows parents to congregate in the middle and enjoy adult conversation without losing sight of the kids. 3. There are activities for all ages under 6 so it is easy for siblings to be part of the party without being left out. 4. The facility is very clean, it is obvious that the staff at PlayTown Express spends time each day wiping down equipment and replacing broken items.

Noodle Noggin' 'N Bean
http://www.noodlenogginnbean.com/
Northborough

Party Length - 2 hours
Facility cost for 18 kids - $250

Additional costs, not required:
I only attended this one, but there would be an additional cake cost. The parents ordered pizza from a local delivery place. And there was an art project. I believe that was extra cost and brought in by the parents.

Party Organization - The kids had pizza, did the art project, and then had free time to play at the facility. At the one I attended the parents also paid for a "princess" to read a story to the kids.

Review - I don't know that the princess was worth it. Sure the kids were excited for a minute but I don't think any of them would have noticed had the teenager not been there dressed up as Cinderella. The party was good, but nothing special. Since NNNB is a series of rooms, that are not overly huge it is not as easy to have conversations with adults and keep an eye on the kids as they move from room to room. Lots of walls. Also there is a room that has a fishing game, with water in a trough. Both of my kids during separate visits have managed to lean over and partially fall in getting their shirt and some of their pants wet. Something to keep in mind. Kids always seem to find water. This could pose a problem is you are planning on going somewhere after. Much like Playtown Express this is geared for preschool children.

Pump It Up
http://www.pumpitupparty.com/ma/Shrewsbury/home-p1q167.htm

Shrewsbury

Length - 2 hours
Facility cost for up to 25 kids - $270 for weekend party

Additional costs, not required:To date I have only attended parties at Pump It Up, but I am considering it for my one son's 5th birthday in the spring. Sometimes parents have added pizza with Pump It Up can provide, and cake and goodie bags are up to the parents.

Party Organization - First the safety video, then 40 minutes in one arena, then 40 minutes in a second arena, and finally 40 minutes in the party room with help from the party coordinator.

Review - Pump It Up seems to provide the lowest rate per child that I have found. It also offers cheaper rates if you book for a weekday, and even cheaper for a weekday morning. The facility is nice, and the kids do have fun. The first room has a bouncy house, an obstacle course, and a giant double slide. All inflatable. The second room has a giant single slide, a larger bouncy house with two levels, and a third bouncy house with a climbing wall and slide in it. Again all inflatable. Pump it up also provides invitations and supplies (cups, plates, forks & napkins). The equipment at Pump It Up is well kept and handles adults when they need to bounce or slide as well. One thing I dislike, and I know this is minor is that there are the 2 air hockey tables (50 cents to play). I realize kids like them but then you get a crowd around the air hockey table for younger parties and they should be enjoying the inflatables. Silly I realize but, it does bug me a little. The party room is fine, and they do a good job of handing out cake and food so parents aren't worrying about those logistics.

As I said above there are a couple of other parties I have attended. Uno Chicago Grill, puts on a fun, make your own pizza party, that my older son loved. The Boroughs YMCA also does parties but I have yet to attend them. I am sure the rock wall there would be fun for a smaller group of kids...but they need to be at least 6 years old. And of course you could refer to my earlier Blog on Mr. Kim Webster and just hire him to play at you home. That is a great party in every regard, but you end up having to do the clean up.

All of the options above are good, and my kids have enjoyed each party. It is hard to pick a favorite, but for the younger side of preschool (2 1/2 - 4) I would say Playtown Express is the best. For the older side of preschool (4- 5 1/2) I am torn between Pump It Up and The Little Gym. I have yet to host at Pump It Up so I will reserve that decision for a later time. It is a long blog this time, but I hope someone finds some value.

Time for Sports Class

2009-11-03T12:15:00.000-05:00

It’s Tuesday afternoon and my kids will soon be off enjoying one of the classes offered at the Little Gym Westborough. Over the years we have tried several of classes offered for younger children around the Boroughs…Gymboree, The Little Gym, TEAMWORKS, and a couple of others. Most have been enjoyable, but some were definitely better then others. For young kids I always felt it was hard to find the balance between keeping their attention, the kids enjoying themselves, and having a structured activity. So the places that do it well, impress me.

To date I have been very impressed with The Little Gym in Westborough. There are two main factors for this; Mr. Tim, and the general attitude from Anthony and Kellie Karpouzis (my interactions have been mostly with Anthony but I will give them both credit as the owner/operators of this location).

First - Mr. Tim - If Anthony or Kellie happens to read this, give Mr. Tim a raise. He is amazing. I have fairly social kids who are willing to be involved and excited to please teachers, but not all kids are always interesting in participating. Even my kids need a push now and then. I have never seen a class with Mr. Tim where the kids weren’t hanging on his every word. He is energetic, fun, and exciting, but still has authority and control over what the kids are doing. As a parent these are the type of people we enjoy watching interact with our children.

My kids love Mr. Tim. They look forward to seeing him and talk about him and the activities they did for days after. As a parent I enjoy the recaps that Mr. Tim or any of the other instructors relay to parents after classes.
Second - General Management – I was sitting in the viewing area a couple of weeks ago while the kids were participating in a sports class. I overheard two conversations with Anthony Karpouzis. The first was with a parent that had apparently paid for a class and then moved out of state. Anthony was immediately willing to transfer the unused balance for the unattended classes to another Little Gym wherever this individual had moved. As a privately owned franchise I am not sure that that would actually be something they need to do. It may just be part of the general operating policies for the franchise, but regardless, there was no hesitation in providing the customer with a fair service.

The second conversation I overheard Anthony discussing his new location with, I assume, the general contractors. He was pushing on the contractors to complete renovations in the new location for the Little Gym in Westborough. Repeatedly he referenced the desire to provide a better facility for customers. As I listened I thought about dealing with contractors and how often time estimates are not 100% accurate. Anyone who has undertaken renovations, private or professional, have stories about the planning, the construction, the move. Often tellers of these stories express frustration and concerns. Anthony’s priorities were obviously the customers, it almost seemed he could handle time delays or other issues as long as the customers were provided with a facility that will proudly showcase the business.

Since I mentioned the new location above, I’ll share the details from an email about the new location from Anthony and Kellie.

The new location will be in The Village Plaza at 122 Turnpike Road (Rt. 9 East) in Westborogh. It has many new features that we do not currently have at this location. It has a much larger multi-purpose room/dance room with more viewing for the parents. We will have three bathrooms, with the handicapped accessible bathroom (and changing table) that will be located conveniently for parents to use in our lobby. Our new home will also be more comfortable whether you are in the gym or out in the lobby because we will have separate heating and air conditioning zones for each area. Our new plaza is also the home to family friendly amenities such a The New York Deli, Boxwell's and Right at Home. This plaza is also a stones throw away from Dunkin' Donuts and D'Angelo's which are literally right next door. We hope that you are as excited as we are!

We are aiming for the week of Thanksgiving to make the move, but we will have to wait for the project to be officially completed and inspected before we can say for sure. Our plan is to close down for a couple of days during the week in order to do the move, and will update you when the move will take place. We will automatically owe you a make-up for the days that we will have to close in order to complete the move. We will also re-do and re-issue any and all Birthday Invitations for Birthday Parties that will take place after the move. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience that we may cause, but we are sure that it will all be worth it. Our goal is to make this transition as seamless as possible for your children and for you. If you have any questions about our new facility please don't hesitate to ask!

This mail reiterates the customer focused way Anthony and Kellie run their business. Professional customer focused services with awesome employees really make The Little Gym Westborough a great place. I look forward to the new location and encourage anyone who has younger kids and hasn’t tried the Little Gym to give them a chance. My kids are still young so I have not experienced all of the Little Gym programs, but I am excited to see what is next

A survey made me think

2009-10-30T16:35:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week, I received a survey via snail mail asking questions about recent visit to the pediatrician. I noticed the survey also had a website url, so I logged on to take the survey. I think feedback is important and having worked in customer support organizations, I know the good companies at least review the statistical results of customer surveys, besides I a web survey doesn't even cost me the stamp. As I was filling out the survey I was thinking about the service I get from our pediatrician.

Over the past years we have had mostly good experiences with pediatricians. One we really liked but he was NEVER on time. I think the best case was getting in 30 minutes after the appointment was supposed to start. With young kids this just doesn't work, no matter how great and knowledgeable the doctor. Another doctor was knowledgeable and much more on time, but there was nothing special about him. We seemed to be just another family...somewhat assembly line medicine. Good care but no real warmth, and we probably would have stayed with that practice but we moved and were looking for more convenience. After we moved to Westborough, we began to use the services of Dr. Waugh.

Once you start working with a great pediatrician you realize how good they really are, and while thinking about the appointments we have had to fill out the survey, I realized all the points I like about him.

Timeliness - My wife nor I have ever waited more then 5 minutes to be called once we arrived at the appointment. This is consistent for well visits appointments as well as sick visits. Not only are we called quickly, the doctor also arrives quickly after to the examination room. For the readers with children you know, keeping things moving is critical to kids remaining happy.
General manner - We have never felt rushed or confused with Dr. Waugh. I consider myself an educated man, and I read up (mostly online) about the conditions or experiences I have with my kids, still I am not a doctor, I didn't put in the commitment of school and training to perform that highly complicated job. Dr. Waugh is always willing to answer questions and explains things in ways I can understand...without me feeling like I am being talked down to. He also never seems to rush us. One appointment he took almost 30 minutes to explain an item we didn't grasp. I also trust when Dr. Waugh tells us not to worry, he is very calming overall.
Patient history - Dr. Waugh asked us to provide past medical records a week before our first appointment for the kids. At that first visit, it was obvious that he read ALL of the history. He recalled specific aspects and asked for clarification on items that seemed to be less then fully documented from other doctors. Instantly it felt like we have always worked with Dr. Waugh.
Technology - By now readers of this blog understand that I am somewhat of a geek, but I think anyone would be impressed with the use of technology in the Southboro Medical offices in Westborough. From handhelds, to computers in each examination room. Dr. Waugh is able to pull up records, reference past situations, and order prescriptions easily and accurately. He uses technology to increase his efficiency and never as a substitute for knowledge. It is the perfect mix.
Hours - This is more a compliment to the Southboro Medical practice then just Dr. Waugh, but with two working parents weekend hours are critical. Southboro has Saturday and Sunday office hours at the Southboro office location. Every time we have used this extremely convenient service, we have continued to be impressed.

I completed survey giving the practice and Dr. Waugh specifically glowing results, and as I thought about the questions and answers I realized I am lucky to have found such a great practitioner. I recommend him to any parents or soon to be parents looking for a pediatrician. At a time when our health care system is under fire and doctors are overworked and under appreciated, doctors are pushed and stressed and patients can feel the stress. I am proud to be able to utilize a practice that services the patients and their families with such professionalism and care. Going to the doctor is not stressful for my kids and that is a credit to Dr. Waugh and the team at Southboro Medical in Westborough.

Time for a party

2009-10-23T20:30:00.000-04:00

I was on vacation the last couple of weeks so I haven't posted in a bit, but I am back and continuing my reports of experiences in the Boroughs.

Today's blog is about Taylor Rental in Westborough. Now, I host/coordinate several large parties/events each year, some private and some for community organizations. I have been doing things like this for several decades. I enjoy having people over to my house, getting together at a venue, friends intermingling, and in general being the host. To date I have not purchased *everything* that I would need for each event so I consistently rent the additional items.

I have also lived in a couple of locations west of Boston and used several rental agencies over the years. AA Rental in Watertown, Taylor Rental in Sudbury, and Taylor Rental in Westborough are the ones I have used the most. I typically will rent tents, bouncy houses, tables, linens, and sometimes karaoke equipment, but over the years I have come up with a few odd requests as well, a trailer to hold a float for the St. Patrick's Day Parade, multiple underwater pumps to create a fountain...and others.

Through the years of service at other locations I always felt forgotten the minute I returned the equipment. Even with repeated business I was just a number, until I moved to Westborough. Gene, the owner of Taylor Rental in Westborough, runs his business as part of a community.

It's trust...a feeling, something that is harder to quantify that makes me want to highlight Taylor Rental today. It's how business was always done in my grandfather's generation. A hand-shake meant your word, and both parties stuck to it. When you talk to someone any agree both parties trust the other.So many people these days are so focused on getting the cheapest deal and are willing to sacrifice service and commitment in their business relationships. When I talk with Gene at Taylor, I trust him. He is a businessman, he supports his family and his employees like any other businessman does, but I don't feel that I as a consumer are being taken advantage of just to line his pockets.

I have rented items from Gene a total of 7 times in the past 3 years. Every single experience has been positive. Sometimes I am not sure of the things I need, Gene is willing to bring his experience to the table and help me make the right decision, not the most expensive decision. Sometimes, it is last minute and I just have a moment to call him, the right item is ready and waiting. Add to that quality, I have never had an issue with anything I have rented from Taylor in Westborough. Every item was exactly as I expected, worked as described, clean and complete. And Gene's team is professional and helpful, for next to nothing they'll deliver everything you need to the local area. But again it all comes back to trust. I trust the people at Taylor Rental, I feel like they care a little that my event is successful, not just about the money I pay them. Many businesses are like this, but too many are not. I don't need a red carpet every time I enter, but I also don't expect to be unknown. Ok, maybe once in a while a red carpet is nice too. :-)

I am proud to return to Taylor Rental and support them as a local business, and I encourage you to do the same. I am going back to setting up for my party this weekend. If you take my advice and rent from Taylor, tell Gene, the Broughs Reviewer sent you and I wish you success in your events as well.

Taylor Rental Westborough

50 E Main St Westborough, MA 01581-1481
(508) 870-1990

Mr. Kim Webster

2009-10-05T13:47:00.000-04:00

This morning while at my sons' pre-school I bumped into Mr. Kim Webster. I had to take a moment to share my experiences about Mr. Kim with anyone who happens to come across this blog. When it comes to local children's entertainers, Mr. Kim is the best.

I first learned about Mr. Kim because through the pre-school my children attend. He visits all the classrooms in their school on a biweekly basis. He also works with the Marlborough public elementary schools, and I have seen him hired for several of the local festivals. Mr. Kim resides in Grafton, but is definitely an active member of the Boroughs. Now I know what a lot of parents are thinking...great another set of annoying songs that my kids enjoy. I had the same thought process when my wife brought home the first CD over a year ago, but trust me on this one, Mr. Kim is different.

Mr Kim is not like so many of the over the top, only kids can sit through a concert entertainers. Not only does he have a phenomenal ability to entertain kids, I see him as an educator, and his somewhat folky style is fun. Let me elaborate; Mr. Kim preformed at my summer BBQ in 2009. There were 37 kids at this event under the age of 8 (crazy I know). Mr. Kim was the only "entertainment" There was the playset and a bouncy house, but no clowns or movies, all I needed was Mr. Kim. For over an hour every kid sat entertained on the lawn singing and laughing as Mr. Kim performed. He had them engaged and mesmerized. And all the while as he sings with his puppets, he talks about the basics of music theory, rhythms, and notes. He shows a bell curve and has the kids sing along from low to high to low. I am proud to see my 4 year old understanding notes and tracking his sounds to the curve, and not just because I was a band geek in a past life.

Here is some information on how to find Mr. Kim:
Website: www.mrkimwebster.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Kim-Webster/269885680654

Mr. Kim just joined Facebook last week but as we talked this morning I know he is planning on using Facebook more to keep the public up to date on his performances and other events. I know he performs at private parties as well as community events.

I encourage all the parents in the area with young children to take full advantage of a Mr. Kim concert if possible. I am confident your kids will enjoy it. And for those outside the area look into his CDs, "Children of the Sea" contains the Popcorn song which I have attached bellow.

MinuteClinic

2009-10-04T21:32:00.000-04:00

Flu season is upon us again. So we are all in search of the standard flu preventions for ourselves and our families. Today's Blog isn't actually about the Boroughs as there is yet to be a MinuteClinic at the one of the Boroughs' CVSs. But Ashland is not that far away and they impressed me today.

As I have mentioned before I have two sons, one almost 3 years old, and one 4 1/2 years old. Our usual pediatrician, who I love, did not currently have flu shots. Ran out/waiting for more, I'm not sure. My wife wanted to get flu shots over with to add some additional prevention and save us a possible series of sick in our household. After some checking we found out my insurance is taken at the CVS MinuteClinics and they offer flu shots every day.

The closet MinuteClinic to my home was in Ashland on Rt 135. This morning my wife wanted to catch an exercise class at the Y so I took the boys to Ashland in hopes of a successful, and quick, set of flu shots. Personally, I have never gotten a flu shot in my adult life. I never really get sick but this morning I thought better to do it with them then make the boys scared so I too partook in the festivities at the MinuteClinic. Overall I am very impressed, to the point where I think I will look here first for future flu shots.

I walked into the CVS at about 10:40am. I entered my boys information into the kiosk near the back of the store. There were options to indicate additional people visiting at the same time, so I didn't have to reenter all information three times. This shows some customer testing before they launched this service, which always makes me happy. There was one person in front of me in queue on the machine. I waited no more then 4 minutes for the woman to call my name.

The nurse practitioner confirmed information in the computer, entered more, took an image of my card and was ready to go. Of course shots are not a favorite of most children, but they folks at the minute clinic were great, they talked to the kids, they tried to make them feel at ease, and grabbed them a cup of water when my youngest asked for it. Real professional with courtesy, exactly what anyone would want at this type of place. One in the leg for my youngest, the arm for my oldest, which I did need to bear hug him to keep him calm, but it was not a big deal and the nurse and the nurse practitioner, and they were great.

Start to finish times were:
6 minutes to enter the data for three people
4 minutes waiting
5 minutes of insurance information
2 mintues to prep and finish the 2 year old
4 minutes to calm and prep the 4 year old
1 minute for my shot as they watched
2 minutes to pay for the animal crackers we grabbed off the shelf and ate while in the clinic

24 minutes TOTAL

After some running around with the whole family today, we stopped back so my wife could get her shot. Start to finish, that visit took less then 10 minutes, and my oldest even joined her to hold her hand. We were trying to remind him it wasn't that bad. Different nurses this time, but the same great service. I am impressed overall any will have to do some more reading on what else they handle.

If you haven't gotten your flu shot yet, I recommend you check to see if there is a MinuteClinic near you, and maybe the CVS in Westborough will eventually add this, I know I would welcome it.

Nourse Farm on Facebook

2009-10-01T13:36:00.000-04:00

In some searching today it appears there is a Facebook page for Nourse Farm CSA.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Westborough-MA/Olde-Nourse-Farm-CSA/139698147634

I put a mail into John Nourse to see if he will update each week to show members and potential members the great items Nourse Farm offers.

Fresh and Tasty

2009-10-01T11:43:00.000-04:00

Last April I decided that it would be good for my family and I to eat more vegetables. And if possible, expand the selection of items which I know I like. This of course is the healthy decision for the whole family, but in reality my 2 year old and 4 year old don't expand much past chicken nuggets and mac and cheese so it was more for my wife and I. I decided to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). There are two CSAs in the Boroughs that I know of.

Nourse Farm - http://oldenoursefarmgourmet.com/store/page11.html
Heirloom Harvest - http://www.heirloomharvestcsa.com/

I originally applied to join the Heirloom Harvest CSA. I knew nothing about either location, but Heirloom Harvest has done a better job when it comes to Google optimization so originally I didn't even know about the Nourse Farm CSA. At the time when I applied, Heirloom Harvest was already full, the farmer, John Mitchell, sent a nice note saying we would be added to a waiting list and if they remained full he would contact us next season. I did some more research and found Nourse Farm, so I applied there.

The application process for Nourse Farm is simple, decide if you want a full or half share, or a pick you own berries share, and fill out a form. I emailed the form then called to give my credit card. Cost for the entire season $600 for full share. Twenty-two plus weeks worth of fresh vegetables. And at times more then I could eat so some friends got to enjoy as well.

I don't know what I fully expected, all I knew was that I would get into better habits this summer eating more vegetables and my wife and I may be able to get the kids to try some new things. I am shocked at how truly AWESOME the Nourse Farm CSA is. I have shared my experience this summer with anyone I can find, as this gem of a CSA in Westborough should have its name in lights.

Reasons why Nourse Farm CSA is great:

Berries, Nourse farm is the only Boroughs CSA that also includes berries. Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, all fresh and delicious.
Cost, even not eating vegetables regularly I know I spent more buying these same items at a grocery store.
The vegetables beyond fresh, I often shop at Roche Bros which has very fresh vegetables, but there is a difference with Nourse Farm, the freshness is unmatched. The flavor and crispness of the vegetables, and the delicious juice of the berries make my mouth water just writing this blog.
Unlike most CSAs Nourse does allow you to select each week the items you want to some degree. You can use your allotment to get more berries one week and more zucchini the next. The flexibility is great and gives newcomers a way to try without feeling trapped.

One note for all the new subscribers to a CSA, the beginning month has a lot of lettuce. The peppers and zucchini don't come till later in the season. This again is why I was impressed with Nourse Farm, I can only eat so much lettuce but I can eat a ton of berries and having the berry aspect to their CSA really helped me find value every single week.

I also learned a few new dishes with the vegetables. Being the cook in the family wanted to use the vegetables that I just received. With a couple of online searches I learned to make bok choy and shrimp, spinach risotto, ratatouille, hot pepper and broccoli pasta, and homemade raspberry and strawberry jam. All amazing if I do say so myself.

Both CSAs are now accepting applications for next year. I will be rejoining Nourse Farm and I encourage everyone to take the time to check it out. Maybe I'll post a reciepe at some time as well. My advice, don't miss out on what a CSA can offer.

Support the Boroughs, and enjoy the benefits!!!

Why this blog? Why me?

2009-09-30T10:34:00.000-04:00

The Boroughs are a great place to live and I am proud to call it my home. I grew up in a small town where community was important. The people of the town supported the local businesses and called them out when they weren't providing the services expected. I know growing up that there were conversations between neighbors and town acquaintances every day, discussing the services, experiences, and events in the town. Now in an internet age, we have retreated into our homes to watch tv with the family or play on the computer. There are less face to face conversations, smaller groups of people that meet up at the diner, and especially among younger individuals, less people involved with the town. I don't blame technology for this...I embrace it. I may not sit at the local diner chatting with friends about my daily experiences, but I tweet about it, or comment on Facebook. These medians are great but they don't allow for some real story telling and may not reach the general set of people who are interested.

So I decided to create this blog. I hope to detail out some of the experiences I have had, highlight some of the great businesses in the Boroughs. I am hoping to do this real time, but as I thought about the blog I have some stories stored up. I'll try to reference dates for them as they are past events.

As I said I am proud to live in the area but even I have only explored a fraction of the services and stores. I am not involved in a lot of organizations yet. I don't consider myself an expert, a critic, or even an authority on what "should be". I am an average guy, working in the tech industry in Cambridge, living in the Boroughs. I am a father of two, a volunteer for some community events, and a patron of the great restaurants and quality businesses in the area. I hope others will read and comment their own experiences about the Boroughs and hopefully we can promote the businesses that make the area great.

Then again, it is possible that I will be writing just for the sake of writing. I'm good with that too, as I said I am not special, just an average person that likes where I live and wants to support it.